Interim Hearing on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Environmental Illness

168 Pages·2016·10.29 MB·English

Golden Gate University School of Law
GGU Law Digital Commons
California Senate California Documents
9-30-1992
Interim Hearing on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
and Environmental Illness
Senate Subcommitee on the Rights of the Disabled
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Recommended Citation
Senate Subcommitee on the Rights of the Disabled, "Interim Hearing on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Environmental Illness"
(1992). California Senate. Paper 74.
htp://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/caldocs_senate/74
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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE
. SENATE SUBCOMMI1.,fEE ON
THE RIGHTS OF THE DISABLED
SENATOR Mll..TON MARKS
CHAIRMAN
INTERIM HEARING ON
MUI:I1PLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVI1Y
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ILLNESS
SEPTEMBER 30, 1992
SAN FRANCISCO, CAIJFORNIA
712-S
JOAN M. RIPPLE
<:-.t.NA lOR EO DAVIS CONSULTANT
Sl:-:NA TOR DIANE WATSON 711 VAN NESS AVENUE
SUITE310
SAN FRANCISCO. CA 94102
O!alifnrnia 1lltgislaturt (4T15I1Y 49724H-0o3608
MARIN OFFICE
30 N. SAN PEDRO ROAD
SUITE160
~tnatt &ubcnmmitkt SAN RAFAEL CA 94903
(415) 479·6612
on
Witt IUgltts nf Wilt llisabltb
SENATOR MILT ON MARKS
CHAIR
Interim Hearing
of the
SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE DISABLED
in cooperation with
THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, SAN FRANCISCO
on
MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ILLNESS
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Milton Marks, Chairman
Ed Davis
Diane Watson
COMMITTEE CONSULTANT
Joan M. Ripple
MAYOR'S DISABILITY COORDINATOR
Paul Imperiale
September 30, 1992
Public Utilities Building
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco CA
CALIFORNIA DECADE OF DISABLED PERSONS !1983·1992>
DESIGNATED BY 5.C.R.15 INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MILTON MARKS
Mt:MB~RS JOAN M. RIPPLE
SENATOR ED DAVIS CONSULTANT
SLNATOR DIANE WATSON 711 VAN NESS AVENUE
SUITE310
SAN FRANCISCO. CA 94102
<!Ialifomin i!ltgislaturt (415) 474-o308
TI'I921-1060
MARIN OFFICE
30 N. SAN PEDRO ROAD
SUITE160
&tnatt &ubcnmmitttt SAN RAFAEL CA 94903
on (415> 479·6612
Witt i!Ugftts nf Witt llisablt~
SENATOR MILT ON MARKS
CHAIR
Interim Hearing
of the
SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE DISABLED
in cooperation with
THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, SAN FRANCISCO
on
MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY / ENVIRONMENTAL ILLNESS
Wednesday, September 30, 1992
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Public Utilities Building
505 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister Street
San Francisco
PLEASE DO NOT WEAR FRAGRANCES OR OTHER SCENTED PROQUCTS
SOME SEATING IS AVAILABLE NEAR OPEN DOORS
PLEASE DO NOT SMOKE OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCES TO THE AUDITORIUM
AGENDA
10:00 AM OPENING STATEMENT .••.•.••.••••••• SENATOR MILTON MARKS, CHAIR
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Rights of the Disabled
10:05 AM OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, SAN FRANCISCO ••••••••.••• PAUL IMPERIALE
Disability Coordinator
10:10 AM BACKGROUND & HEARING RULES •.•••••• JOAN M. RIPPLE, CONSULTANT
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Rights of the Disabled
SCHEDULED WITNESSES
10:15 AM Susan Molloy, Executive Director, Environmnntal Health
Network and member, Mayor's Section 504 Task Force.
An Overview.
10:25 AM James E. Cone, M.D., MPH- Assistant Clinical Professor,
UCSF; former Chief, Occupational Health Clinic, San
Francisco General Hospital; primary editor, problem
buildings: Building~associated Illness and the Sick Building
Syndrome; in private practice in Berkeley.
CALIFORNIA DECADE OF DISABLED PERSONS <1983·1992>
DESIGNATED BY S.C.R.ISINTRODUCED BY SENATOR MILTON MARKS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Agenda and Witness List •••••••••••••••••••••••••.••• i
Transcript Text .....................•......•... l 64
Appendices
Written Testimony Submitted
Mary Lamielle, President
National Center for Environmental Health Strategies.
Thomas A. Sult, M.D •••••••••••••• . . .. .. .. . .. . . . . .
stephen A. ~C:~ctcici~Il •••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••
Emily Levy, City of Santa Cruz Access Committee ••
Newspaper Article.
Joy Hahn . .•...•.......••••••••.•••••••••.
Raymond Mongeluzo ••••.•••••••
David Gilmartin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Susan Nordmark •• . . . . . . . . .
Ruth Fontana •.....•
Elna Widell .•.•• . ....
Marilyn J. Hayes .•..•••••••
Martha E. Riecken, Christian Counseling Associates ••
Emily Earhart ••.•...•.•••••••• . ..
Kate Sky •.••.••.•.
Mary Ann Handzus •. .. .
Marilee Kernis •... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Janet Dauble, Executive Director
Share, Care and Prayer, Inc •• . . . . . . . .
Bill Shewaga . .................... .
CHAIRMAN MILTON MARKS: I am Senator Milton Marks, Chair of the Senate
Subcommittee on the Rights of the Disabled. My colleagues, Senators Ed Davis
and Diane Watson, the other members of the committee, are unable to be here
today.
San Francisco is the first city in the nation to develop an access plan for
Environmental Illness. I am pleased that this hearing is being held in
cooperation with the Office of the Mayor of San Francisco. Paul Imperiale, the
Disability Coordinator, is representing the Mayor's office. He's right here.
Environmental Illness (EI) or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is
recognized as a potentially disabling condition by federal agencies such as the
Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development,
the Social Security Administration, the National Research Council, and others.
Further, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and state laws guarantee
people with disabilities access to public facilities, housing, education,
employment, and transportation and to reasonable accommodations.
The purpose of this hearing is to gather information on the impact of
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or Environmental Illness; the status of access for
people with MCS or EI; the economic and social consequences both for the person
with MCS or EI and the community; and problems in providing access.
The important questions are: Who has responsibility to decide how and when
to make California facilities accessible to people with EI/MCS? And, what
policy modifications, building and ventilation codes, and curtailment of the
availability of toxic products for use by the general public are necessary to
allow safe integration of people with EI/MCS into society? What steps are
necessary to make hospitals, schools, publicly-funded housing, and other public
and commercial facilities and programs accessible?
More than 10 state agencies implement regulations for facilities• access or
reasonable accommodation to programs. Clearly, some coordination is vital.
This is not a new issue. My good friend, Margarete Connolly, on receiving
the hearing notice, reminded me that 35 years ago when ARC-SF had its first wine
tasting, the Napa Valley vintners gave them a list of suggestions. Among them
was one that suggested that guests to the event refrain from using scent since
the quality of the wine could not be appreciated if the aroma was affected by
the scent of perfumes. At that time the que~tion of asking guests to refrain
-1-
from using scent was too much.
In December 1989, the Attorney General's Commission on Disability addressed
this issue; in January 1991, it became an issue in a hearing I held on access of
san Francisco buildings.
Prom a social event 35 years ago to the implementation of the Americans With
Disabilities Act today, it's time to go forward. I personally feel that every
effort must be made to enable people with disabilities to achieve the highest
level of participation in society that they desire to have. I believe that it
is our responsibility as legislators and as citizens to create laws and
communities that enable disabled people to live their lives as independently as
they wish.
Serving with me on the panel today are Paul Imperiale, Disability
Coordinator, Office of the Mayor; and Joan Ripple, consultant to the
Subcommittee.
Mr. Imperiale, would you like to say a few words?
MR. PAUL IMPERIALE: Thank you, Senator Marks.
I'm Paul Imperiale, the Disability Program Coordinator for the City and
county of San Francisco. I'm based out of the Mayor's office.
Two years back we created a proposed policy for the City and County of San
Francisco. This wasn't a very popular policy but it's one that we're struggling
to implement at this time. Per the Americans With Disabilities Act, we have an
obligation to make sure that people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and
Environmental Illness are able to deal with mainstream programs in San
Francisco, and to that end, as I say, we're trying to implement a policy.
Today's hearing is going to be one where we are hoping to obtain information
from you, the ultimate consumers who may have or may be prone to develop
Multiple Chemical sensitivity or Environmental Illness. As well, we'd like to
hear from agencies concerned with policy that is guiding this state for the
provision of programs, facilities, and services that will be accessible to
people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or Environmental Illness.
We appreciate your attendance today, and let the hearing begin.
CHAIRMAN MARKS: Thank you very much.
Joan Ripple.
MS. JOAN RIPPLE: Senator Marks stated that several of the federal agencies
have recognized EI/MCS as potentially disabling. Some of the specifics include
the following.
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has determined that chemical
sensitivity is one of two chronic health effects -- cancer is the other
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