Senator Barack Obama (D)

Public Health

Air Pollution [click here to read question thirteen]

"The Clean Air Act guarantees all Americans, even the most vulnerable among us, the right to breathe clean air. The last six years have witnessed an unfortunate politicization of EPA’s standard setting process. In my administration, public health standards would be set by scientists not politicians and lobbyists."

Superfund “Polluter Pays” [click here to read question fourteen]

"The concept of 'polluter pays' is central to the effectiveness and ultimate fairness of our toxic laws. It must be reinstated."

Chemical Security [click here to read question fifteen]

"In March 2006, I joined with Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) to introduce a tough chemical plant security bill that contains many of the provisions in H.R. 5695."

Clean Water Act [click here to read question sixteen]

"Having lived near Lake Michigan for 20 years, I have a deep appreciation for the need to protect our nation’s waters. I have cosponsored legislation to protect and restore the Great Lakes and am a strong supporter of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. During my time in the Senate, I also have fought for greater funds to improve the water quality in our rivers, streams, and lakes generally."

Environmental Justice [click here to read question seventeen]

"While working as a community organizer in Chicago, I helped form a tenants’ rights group in the housing projects that successfully organized to force the city and federal governments to clear asbestos from pipes in public housing developments. I became acutely aware of the importance of enforcement, and equally, of community activism that holds government accountable, especially for the health of the most vulnerable communities.

Despite the tremendous environmental progress this nation has accomplished since the 1970s, there remain significant areas of environmental degradation scattered throughout our nation. These pockets are some of the most highly concentrated and severely polluted areas that one could encounter - - and not surprisingly, but certainly shamefully, they correspond directly with where low-income and minority Americans reside, both urban and rural. It is unacceptable that the current Administration’s environmental policies have resulted in essentially ranking these lower-income regions of the country at the bottom of our list of priorities. When I am President, I will resurrect the purpose of civic environmental responsibility, and restore priority remediation to these long neglected communities so that living daily with extreme environmental pollution and health risks will be a condition of the past. One issue that I have worked on extensively is lead poisoning, and as President I will complete this work. I will call on Congress to enact my legislation that will require and help pay to make all child care facilities outside the home—including Head Start programs—lead-safe within five years. I will also provide incentives for property owners to eliminate or contain lead paint in homes with low-income young children. As a Senator, I introduced the Healthy Communities Act, and as President, I will use that office to push for its passage. It addresses environmental health concerns in a comprehensive fashion, building upon many of the successful federal initiatives and filling in gaps in other critical areas. The bill establishes an independent advisory committee to provide recommendations across all relevant Federal agencies. It asks the CDC and the EPA to assess and report on the environmental public health of the nation, and each state. The Health Action Zone Program will provide intense Federal attention and resources to clean up and address the health needs of the nation’s most blighted communities. Environmental research is expanded, including biomonitoring and health tracking initiatives. Finally, the Act promotes environmental health workforce programs at the CDC and the NIH. I also introduced, and as President will call upon Congress to enact the Healthy Places Act, which establishes an interagency working group to discuss environmental health concerns, particularly concerns disproportionately affecting disadvantaged populations."

Pesticides and Rural Communities [click here to read question eighteen]

"This administration has undermined the use of science in policy-making throughout the government, all the while empowering industry lobbyists. As President, I will return our agencies to their proper function—safeguarding the public, not special interests. I will take seriously my power of appointment, choosing for key posts experts who are dedicated to the mission of their agency and who will value the conclusions of staff scientists.

For example, we need to prevent our government from testing pesticides on human subjects. This is just common sense, but with the present administration, it’s been a tough road. I was an original cosponsor of legislation by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to prohibit the testing of pesticides on humans, and we passed that legislation. Unfortunately, the EPA ignored parts of it when making its rule, and so they are now being taken to court. Under an Obama administration, that never would have happened."