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Children's Health Protection
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President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children


Image  of  children  playing,  trees,  and  a  house. The President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children was established in April 1997 by Executive Order 13045, and is co-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The E.O. directed each Federal Agency to make it a high priority to identify, assess, and address children's environmental health and safety risks. The Task Force is composed of sixteen departments and White House offices The E.O. provided an opportunity for Federal Departments and Agencies to work together to improve the environmental health and safety of America's children.

The Task Force was charged with recommending strategies for protecting children's environmental health and safety. President Bush signed Executive Order 13229 (17.7KB/PDF) in October 2001, extending the work of the Task Force for an additional eighteen months beyond the original charter. On April 18, 2003, President Bush further amended the Executive Order Exit  Disclaimer to extend the Task Force an additional two years.

The Task Force initially identified four priority areas for immediate attention: asthma, unintentional injuries, developmental disorders (including lead poisoning), and cancer. Since then the Task Force has added environmental health in schools, the National Children's Study, and Children's Health Month Exit  Disclaimer to its interagency activities.

The first meeting of President Bush's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, in October 2001, presented an opportunity to set priorities and direction for the Task Force under the new administration. Priorities were set in many areas, including asthma, lead, unintentional injuries, and healthy school environments.

The work of the Task Force has highlighted the Administration's strong commitment to protecting children from environmental health and safety risks and has raised public awareness of the issues. It also supports the President's theme - "No Child Left Behind."

View a draft summary report of the President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children's Activities and Accomplishments (PDF/170KB). To view PDF documents, the free Acrobat Reader Exit  EPA is required.

Task Force Members Work Groups Activities and Accomplishments

 

 
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Last Modified on Monday, October 6th, 2003