12-R357
2012 -- S 2640 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/12/12
S E N A T E R E
S O L U T I O N
CREATING A
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION
TO STUDY PUBLIC
HEALTH THREATS FROM PHARMACEUTICAL HUMAN WASTE CONTAMINATION IN THE WATER
SUPPLY
Introduced By: Senators Tassoni, Doyle, Gallo, and Sosnowski
Date Introduced: March 01, 2012
WHEREAS, A 2002 study by the United States Geological Survey
conducted across 30
states found that 80 percent of water streams sampled had
measurable concentrations of
prescription and nonprescription drugs, steroids, and reproductive
hormones; and
WHEREAS, Many drugs, particularly cytotoxic
agents used in the treatment of cancers
such as chemotherapy, have no safe exposure limit, are
carcinogenic, mutanagenic, and
teratogenic, and remain active and dangerous long after leaving
the human body through waste;
and
WHEREAS, In some instances, over 90 percent of a utilized drug fails
to be absorbed by
the human body and is excreted through waste into the
water supply; and
WHEREAS, The federal Occupation Safety and Health Administration, the
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention have each
publically expressed concern with the handling and/or disposal of
pharmaceuticals, particularly
cytotoxic agents; and
WHEREAS, Even with
effective collection and treatment systems, medical waste
incinerators are not capable of destroying cytotoxic
chemicals and no methods are currently
available to sewer treatment facilities to neutralize such
chemicals; and
WHEREAS, Despite these
limitations, effective methods of collecting, reducing, and
neutralizing drugs, and rendering them safe for disposal, exist
and should be fully explored and
considered; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That a Special Legislative Commission be and the same
hereby is created
consisting of seven (7) members: three (3) of whom shall be
members of the Senate, not more
than two (2) of whom shall be from the same political
party, to be appointed by the President of
the Senate; one of whom shall be the Director of the
Department of Health, or designee; one of
whom shall be the Director of the Department of
Environmental Management, or designee; one
of whom shall be the Director of the Department of Human
Services, or designee; and one of
whom shall be the
In
lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory
commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created
by a General Assembly
resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the
general public to serve in lieu
of a legislator, provided that the Majority Leader or
the Minority Leader of the political party
which is entitled to the appointment, consents to the
member of the general public.
The
purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study and provide
recommendations regarding potential public health threats resulting
from pharmaceutical,
medical, and human waste contamination in the public water
supply and appropriate collection
methods to prevent such contamination. Said study shall
include, but not be limited to:
(1)
A comprehensive review of methods currently used in this state by consumers,
health
care providers, and others for disposing of unused
pharmaceuticals so that they do not enter the
wastewater system;
(2)
A review of programs and systems developed in other local, state, and national
jurisdictions for disposing of unused pharmaceuticals so that they
do not enter the wastewater
system;
(3)
Recommendations regarding the development of public education and outreach
program concerning the proper disposal of unused medications,
including but not limited to, the
requirement that all physicians, pharmacists, or other health
care professionals licensed in the
state of
provide written notice to each patient undergoing such
treatment as to the hazards posed to
patients and their families in the residential setting of
excreted human waste;
(4)
Recommendations, if necessary, regarding statutory and/or regulatory changes to
current processes concerning pharmaceutical and contamination
of our water supply, including
the development of sufficient collection methods whereby
patients can safely collect and contain
potentially hazardous excreted bodily wastes for a period of time
to be defined by the licensed
prescribing practitioner based on the relevant FDA label(s); and
(5)
The potential costs of and recommendations regarding how to finance, such a
program.
Forthwith
upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at
the call of the President of the Senate. Two
co-chairs of the commission shall also be selected by
the Senate President.
Vacancies
in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.
The
membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.
All
departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and
information,
documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as
is deemed necessary or
desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this
resolution.
The
Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to
provide
suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the commission shall report its findings and
recommendations to the
Senate no later than March
5, 2013, and said commission shall expire on May 31, 2013.
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LC02097/SUB A
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