Dear Friends in Prevention,
This summer has been busy for the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition.
Our Board President Margo Simon Golden testified before the Massachusetts Legislature in support of the Children and Firefighters Protection Act, which if it passes would help protect the health of our communities while reducing the burden of illnesses and health care costs.
Hundreds of you rose to the challenge at Against the Tide in Hopkinton last month, to swim, kayak, walk, or run in support of our mission of breast cancer prevention. We were especially pleased to have students from across Massachusetts join us as volunteers for the event.
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High school students from the towns of Ashland, Barnstable, Framingham, Hudson, and Webster
volunteer at the 23rd annual Statewide
Hopkinton Against the Tide event.
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On August 15th, we will return to the beach in Brewster for our second Against the Tide event of 2015. And, just one day later, MBCC will proudly sponsor its first team in the New Balance Falmouth Road Race. Proceeds from events such as these help us to grow and expand our unique Let's Talk Prevention: Reducing Toxic Exposures educational program and tour. This program is the only one of its kind, promoting health professionals and patient discussions concerning the link between health and toxic environmental exposures.
On behalf of the staff and Board of Directors of MBCC, I thank you for your continued support and wish you an enjoyable summer.
With gratitude,
Cheryl Osimo
Executive Director
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The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) testified at a public hearing on June 18, 2015 to urge support for H. 2119, a bill to prohibit the distribution in commerce of children's products and upholstered furniture containing certain flame retardants. This bill was filed by Representative Marjorie C. Decker of Cambridge, MA. The public hearing on H. 2119, known as The Children and Firefighters Protection Act, was held before the Joint Committee of Public Safety and Home Land Security.
MBCC joined Massachusetts firefighters, scientists, citizens, public health professionals, and educators to ask for the legislators' support and dedication on preventing illness, such as breast cancer, by replacing ineffective synthetic flame retardant with safer, non-toxic alternatives.
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Margo Simon Golden, MBCC Board President,
along with Kathryn Rodgers of Silent Spring Institute, and Laura Spark of Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow testify about the impacts of toxic flame
retardants on human health.
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Margo Simon Golden, MBCC's Board President, cited a study which reported that the breast cancer rate in San Francisco for female firefighters ages 40 to 50 is six times the national average. "This is not acceptable. Firefighters protect our lives and face incredible risks on our behalf, and we should all be outraged that they have to face elevated risks of cancer as well," Golden stated. "Flame retardants have become widespread in our air, water, food, everyday products, schools, workplaces, and therefore end up in our bodies."
If H. 2119 passes, it would greatly help to protect the health and well-being of our families and communities; reduce the burden of illnesses and health care costs; defend the health of our brave firefighters; and provide future generations the benefit of living safer, healthier lives.
For more information on flame retardants, please click here.
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On June 20th, athletes, families, volunteers, and sponsors all gathered to support the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition's 23rd annual Against the Tide event at DCR's Hopkinton State Park. There was great energy throughout the morning as people participated in their choice of competitive and recreation 1-mile swims, 5K/10K runs, 2-mile kayak, 3-mile walk, or the challenging Aquathon.
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Participants navigate the 1-mile competitive swim
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Against the Tide Cape Cod is just weeks away, and we will soon be on the beach in Brewster. We invite you to join us for our 16th year at DCR's Nickerson State Park on August 15. Participants will once again have the option to participate in the swim, walk, run, kayak and/or Aquathon in support of breast cancer prevention.
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Kayakers head out for a 2-mile ride
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Registration is now open for this family-friendly and inspiring event. To register as a participant, as a team or to make a donation, please visit: www.mbcc.org/swim
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Encouraging a discussion between health professionals and their patients
We continue to spread the word about the importance of understanding the risks of toxic exposures. Our patient brochure is currently available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. For more information on the Let's Talk Prevention: Reducing Toxic Exposures tour click here.
June 1 - August 31: Satellite Office, Woman and Infants Hospital, Hyannis
July 2 - July 31: Berkshire Medical Center, Woman's Imaging Center, Pittsfield
August 3 - August 31: Fairview Hospital, Great Barrington
August 15: MBCC's Statewide Against the Tide fundraiser, Brewster
September 1 - September 30: Berkshire Medical Center Cancer and Infusion Center, Pittsfield
September 1 - October 31: Satellite Office, Women and Infants Hospital, Fall River
October 1 - October 31: Billerica Public Library, Billerica
If you are interested in learning more about hosting the tour, please contact us.
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On Thursday, June 11, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) approved the 2015 Eversource (formerly NSTAR) Yearly Operational Plan (YOP) for Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard despite serious and widespread objections from Cape residents and tourists. If you vacation on Cape Cod, you should know that the following towns have been targeted for herbicide spraying as part of the NSTAR/Eversource plan: Barnstable, Bourne, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, & Yarmouth. Many towns throughout the Commonwealth will be sprayed as well. To find NSTAR's plan for your town, click here.
MDAR and the MA State Pesticide Bureau have simply not met their burden to approve the 2015 NSTAR/Eversource Yearly Operational Plan (YOP) and have failed to inspect and enforce the previous YOPs and the related state regulations. NSTAR/Eversource's YOP does NOT satisfy the requirements set forth in M.G.L. c.132 B and 333CMR 11.00 as it stated in its approval. But of even more immediate concern, there is evidence on day-one of implementing their 2013 and 2014 YOPs that NSTAR/Eversource operated outside of the law. NSTAR/Eversource admitted to spraying on Monday November 18, 2013 (and appears to have done so on subsequent days) when conditions did NOT meet label regulations (wind data) . M.G.L. c. 132 B Section 6A states: Section 6A. "No person shall use a registered pesticide in a manner that is inconsistent with its labeling or other restrictions imposed by the department."
In the fall of 2014, NSTAR/Eversource contractors, without notice, sprayed residents and animals in Harwich even after the resident requested them to stop. They refused to tell the property owner what they had sprayed on the her property, person, and animals. The MDAR inspector did not sample the area for 3 weeks-and after two major storm events-and then reported the samples showed no evidence of overspray. In addition, the pesticide that was applied in the highest volume was never included in the analysis!
Click here for the full NSTAR Update, including immediate actions you can take to prevent NSTAR spraying in your community.
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| Revising Toxic Substances
Out-of-Control Act |
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| PCE in Drinking Water Linked
to Cancer and Epillepsy
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| A plant-based compound may
undo aging, boost recylcing |
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| | Exxon knew of climate change in 1981 |
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| | Combinations of 'safe' chemicals may increase cancer risk |
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| | Breast cancer and mammograms: Study suggests 'widespread overdiagnosis' |
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Follow our blog to learn more about these events as they approach.
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| | Join MBCC's Road Race Team! Bibs are still available for our Falmouth Road Race team! |
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The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) is dedicated to preventing environmental causes of breast cancer through community education, research advocacy, and changes to public policy. MBCC is the only education and advocacy non-profit in the country working closely with an environmental research organization toward breast cancer prevention. Thank you for supporting our efforts toward breast cancer prevention. Learn more.
617-376-6222
Post Office Box 222 Rockland, MA 02370 |
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If you have any questions regarding this newsletter, please contact Cheryl Osimo at cosimo@mbcc.org. |
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