MomsRising: Pint-sized super heroes to march in Raleigh Thursday

Halloween starts early at our house. It’s barely Oct. 1 before the kids start clamoring to get out the decorations and plotting their costumes. I have to admit that even my husband and I probably have as much fun as the kids donning our wigs and silly outfits.

My only complaint about Halloween is that it’s always over too quick! This year my family’s going to celebrate a little longer than usual, tapping into that Halloween spirit to fight something really scary: Toxic chemicals.

On Thursday, we’ll be donning super hero capes and joining other local families in a stroller brigade in downtown Raleigh to demand increased protections from toxic chemicals.

Moms and kids across the country will come together then for a national day of action to ask our senators to support a policy that protects us from chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, asthma and other serious illnesses.

You and your family are invited to join us! The North Carolina event will feature local parents and children strolling and walking from Moore Square Park to ask Sen. Hagan and Sen. Burr to be leaders in increasing protections for American families. We’ll provide super hero capes for children to wear as we ask our U.S. senators to “be our heroes” and fight for safer chemicals!

Thousands of chemicals are found in the products our families use every day. Under our outdated chemical regulatory system, the EPA has been able to require testing of only a few hundred of the 62,000 chemicals on the market since the Toxic Substances Control Act, our nation’s primary chemical safety law, passed 35 years ago. Today 85,000 chemicals are on the market about which consumers know little in terms of safety.

As a result, a chemical like Bisphenol A (BPA) continues to be found in canned food linings, reusable water bottles, and other everyday products, even though it’s been proven harmful and been linked to breast cancer, infertility, early onset puberty, ADHD, obesity, and abnormalities in brain development.

We’re joining with Toxic Free NC and parents from across the state in rallying behind a bill that would take meaningful steps to protect the American public from toxic chemicals.

The Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (S.847), introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (NJ) would increase chemical safety, inform consumers and the marketplace on chemical hazards, and protect vulnerable populations like pregnant women and children.

We shouldn’t have to worry about toxic chemicals in our homes, drinking water, and environment. Help do something about it by joining us at this fun, kid-friendly event!