Barbara Boxer: “As we are entering the fire season in California, I am today introducing the Healthy Firefighters Act. Last year, I…”

“As we are entering the fire season in California, I am today introducing the Healthy Firefighters Act. Last year, I offered this bill as an amendment to the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, and it passed the Senate by a vote of 94-3. Unfortunately, House Republicans insisted on dropping this important proposal in conference. Last year my State experienced devastating wildfires. Those fires killed 24 people, including one firefighter. Over 750,000 acres burned. More than 3,700 homes were destroyed in five Southern California counties. Thousands of firefighters from local, State and Federal agencies responded to these fires. Those firefighters--and in fact most firefighters who respond to Federal disasters--are at higher risk of long-term health problems because of exposure to several toxins, including fine particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur, formaldehyde, mercury, heavy metals, and benzene. As a result, their long-term health should be monitored so that any consequences can be identified, leading to early detection and better treatment. The Healthy Firefighters Act does just that.”