{"id":4251,"date":"2017-11-02T12:23:20","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T16:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weact.org\/updates\/this-groundbreaking-childrens-health-research-is-on-trumps-chopping-block\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T19:04:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T00:04:26","slug":"this-groundbreaking-childrens-health-research-is-on-trumps-chopping-block","status":"publish","type":"update","link":"https:\/\/weact.org\/es\/updates\/this-groundbreaking-childrens-health-research-is-on-trumps-chopping-block\/","title":{"rendered":"This Groundbreaking Children\u2019s Health Research is on Trump\u2019s Chopping Block"},"template":"","class_list":["post-4251","update","type-update","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","update_type-blog","person_tax-brooke-havlik"],"acf":{"details":{"":null,"featured_image":3127,"update_type":[364],"focus_area":false,"authors":[172],"abstract":""},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"
Over the past twenty years, a joint research program has led to new discoveries on the environmental factors making kids sick.<\/span><\/i><\/h6>\r\nA <\/span>new report<\/span><\/a> released last week from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) details two decades worth of groundbreaking work from researchers nationwide on children\u2019s environmental health. The report finds that the two agencies\u2019 research and outreach has raised awareness of children\u2019s issues nationwide, and led to \u201cnew detection, treatment, and prevention strategies\u201d related to health issues that we know disproportionately impact communities of color, like asthma and <\/span>poor birth outcomes<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\r\n\r\nPresident <\/span>Trump\u2019s EPA budget<\/span><\/a> would completely eliminate funding<\/a> for much of this critical research under the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. The budget was released back in May 2017, and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has even testified before Congress that he supports the full elimination of the program due to \u201credundancies and inefficiencies.\u201d <\/span>\r\n\r\nAll Families Benefit From EPA & NIEHS Research<\/b>\r\n\r\nEliminating the funding for STAR research makes little sense based on its widespread support, and many in Congress have pushed back on Trump\u2019s plan. Independent <\/span>research<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>by the National Academies of Science found that the STAR grants, \u201c<\/span>reduce the cost of regulations, protect public health, and save lives.\u201d<\/span> In 2016, children\u2019s environmental health research partially supported by a STAR grant found that infants may be exposed to arsenic through rice cereal. This led to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)\u2019s proposed regulations to protect infant health from the toxin \u2014 a clear case study of our tax dollars at work, helping us better understand childhood illness and developmental issues, and how to create policy that prevents it. <\/span>\r\n\r\nResearch on Children\u2019s Health Disparities <\/b>\r\n\r\nSince 1997, EPA and NIEHS have partnered with children\u2019s research centers at universities like <\/span>Columbia<\/span><\/a>, UC Berkeley, and Duke to better understand the impact of environmental factors like air pollution, BPA, and pesticides on children\u2019s health outcomes. This research <\/span>matters <\/span><\/i>for communities of color, who are particularly vulnerable to poor health outcomes and environmental risks. <\/span>\r\n\r\nCommunities of color have long endured living close to heavy polluters, such as power plants or highways in urban areas. Nationwide, communities of color breathe in <\/span>~40% dirtier air<\/span><\/a> than white communities, and black kids have the <\/span>highest rates of asthma.<\/span><\/a> Research from University of Southern California detailed in the new report found that asthma increased in children who lived closer to freeways, even if there was no family history.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe report also discusses critical research that uncovered environmental health disparities for children of farmworkers. UC Berkeley found that, \u201cLatino fathers exposed to known or possible carcinogens such as pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in combustion exhaust, and chlorinated hydrocarbons at work were more likely to have children with leukemia.\u201d Prevention strategies and outreach to farmers on how to wash off or remove dangerous pesticides were also funded under this work. <\/span>\r\n\r\nCommunities and Research Must Work Together<\/b>\r\n\r\nToo many times, research happens in a bubble. But part of the requirements of STAR funding from EPA and NIEHS is that they work <\/span>with <\/span><\/i>communities to research and find actionable solutions to environmental health issues. This is commonly referred to as <\/span>community-based participatory research<\/span><\/i>. In fact, WE ACT for Environmental Justice has worked for nearly two decades with Columbia University\u2019s Center for Children\u2019s Environmental Health and <\/span>Dr. Frederica Perera<\/span><\/a>. Starting in 1998, WE ACT supported and advised on a long-term research project to better understand environmental health in pregnant women and their children. A cohort of Latina and Black women from northern Manhattan were enrolled in the program to examine their prenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution, bisphenol A (BPA), flame retardants, and pesticides on childhood health and development. According to the new report, \u201cThese studies have been instrumental in the field, finding associations between certain environmental exposures and multiple adverse outcomes including reduced birth weight, obesity, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), reduced IQ, and anatomical brain changes. The research has also revealed interactions between toxicant exposure and stressors related to poverty.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nWe Need Continued Funding of Scientific Research<\/b>\r\n

The 2018 EPA budgets are likely not up for vote until early December, and while the House has agreed on fewer cuts to the EPA budget,<\/a> an approved budget isn\u2019t expected until the end of the year. Bottom line:\u00a0stopping children\u2019s health cuts shouldn\u2019t be controversial.<\/em> Communities across the country need more, not less science to inform stronger policy at all levels of government, and to protect our kids.\u00a0WE ACT supports continuing the rigorous, community-based research detailed in this new report. And we ask our elected officials to ensure that these programs are fully funded in the new year.<\/p>\r\nAuthor<\/strong>: Brooke Havlik<\/a> is WE ACT\u2019s Director of Communications.\u00a0You can follow her\u00a0@brookehavlik<\/a>.","include_drop_cap":false}}]},"yoast_head":"\nThis Groundbreaking Children\u2019s Health Research is on Trump\u2019s Chopping Block - WE ACT for Environmental Justice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/weact.org\/es\/updates\/this-groundbreaking-childrens-health-research-is-on-trumps-chopping-block\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"This Groundbreaking Children\u2019s Health Research is on Trump\u2019s Chopping Block - WE ACT for Environmental Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/weact.org\/es\/updates\/this-groundbreaking-childrens-health-research-is-on-trumps-chopping-block\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WE ACT for Environmental Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-17T00:04:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/weact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Doctor-and-Girl_iStock-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/weact.org\/updates\/this-groundbreaking-childrens-health-research-is-on-trumps-chopping-block\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/weact.org\/updates\/this-groundbreaking-childrens-health-research-is-on-trumps-chopping-block\/\",\"name\":\"This Groundbreaking Children\u2019s Health Research is on Trump\u2019s Chopping Block - 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