Barbara Mikulski: “our colleague from Florida raises some very valid concerns. All of us want to ensure that our playgrounds, our back…”

“our colleague from Florida raises some very valid concerns. All of us want to ensure that our playgrounds, our back decks, and our picnic tables and anything with wood outside are not harmful to our children's health. If it is harmful to our children, it will be harmful to special needs populations such as the elderly. Of course, there is playground equipment that has a particular risk associated with it. The issue of arsenic in the ground and around playgrounds has also raised considerable attention. I acknowledge the validity of the Senator's concerns. I also want to acknowledge his frustration that the bureaucracy has not rigorously stood sentry over their voluntary effort and also that they have been a little slow in moving on an evaluation of this matter. This is an issue of great concern to this committee. In fact, the issue is in two agencies--the EPA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The good news is you have two agencies looking at it. The bad news often is getting them to work together and move it, which requires bilateral treaty negotiation. We think the Senator's amendment kind of moves it because that is what his amendment is. He doesn't take the position on the outcome. He doesn't come in with a muscular amendment to mandate without an evaluation. We think the Nelson approach is very prudent. He wants to have the EPA study, but at the same time he doesn't want the study to be a career in and of itself. We need to know.…”