Washington, DC - Our environment impacts our bodies; what we eat, how we drive, where we work, and even how much we sleep can have subtle effects that are easy to ignore. But over the long run, dirty air, water and soil can make us sick. Environmental factors that influence our health also include products that we choose to consume, like tobacco. National Health Education Week (October 15-20) was established to make us more aware of what can make us sick and how we can stay healthy. Residents of North and East Harris County deal with several health challenges, including air pollution, smoking, and water pollution.

Any effort to ensure a healthy environment in our area must include further research into the effect of air toxics on folks in our community. The petrochemical industry located along the Houston Ship Channel has fueled our area’s economic growth and strengthened our job base. While the industry has long been regulated to reduce smog and ozone, the media has highlighted the presence of chemicals in the air that can cause disease and premature death, called air toxics.

This impact has sparked concerns about the health effects of air toxics on our neighbors who live in fence-line communities near industrial facilities. Unfortunately, few studies have been conducted to research the possible link between air toxics and incidences of cancer in these communities. We are working to increase the federal investment in this important research, and have supported the City of Houston and the University of Texas – Houston School of Public Health’s air toxics research efforts over the years. This year, the school concluded an 18-month study that found a possible link between proximity to the Ship Channel and increased incidence of childhood cancer. We have also encouraged the Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center to focus on this important research. Once we get the scientific facts on the ground, I can work with my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee to ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency develops the appropriate regulatory standards for air toxics when the Committee considers the reauthorization of the Clean Air Act.

Smoking is another health problem in our area. In 2005 efforts were made to determine whether air toxics were causing higher cancer rates in the Houston area, some of the data was unusable because too many residents smoked. We also know about the consequences of inhaling tobacco smoke over time. Cancer caused by smoking has touched my family, and it has probably touched yours and your neighbor's, also. The most tragic aspect of tobacco-related diseases is that they kill millions even though they're preventable. The good news is that 70 percent of smokers want to quit, and the body can repair a lot of damage from smoking if you do. In the first 12 hours after you quit, your body will rid itself of nicotine and carbon monoxide. After three months, your lungs may regain the ability to clean themselves, and after a year, your risk of heart disease will have gone down by half. You will probably feel cravings for cigarettes, especially just after you quit, but even the worst cravings last only a few minutes. Eventually, they will go away for good, and you will have much better prospects for a long, healthy life.

Second-hand smoke is also a significant problem for residents of our area, but the public has begun to demand policy changes. The Pasadena City Council voted to ban smoking in work places, public buildings, restaurants and bars, effective September 1. Here in Congress, the Health Subcommittee is currently holding hearings on a proposed law that would give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products. I am a co-sponsor of The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which would make sure tobacco companies follow many of the same procedures as makers of other drugs. Under this bill, the FDA will inspect tobacco manufacturing facilities and regulate claims that some tobacco products are less risky than others. The goal of the bill is to reduce the number of teenagers who start smoking.

Water pollution in the San Jacinto River is also a health risk in our area. Just north of the I-10 bridge over the river are paper mill waste pits that leak dioxins and furans, chemicals that can cause cancer and other diseases. Fish, crabs and other wildlife from the contaminated parts of the river are dangerous to eat because the toxins build up in their bodies. This water pollution impacts downstream to the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay. In March, Rep. Ted Poe and I asked the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the sites using the Superfund program. The EPA recently proposed including the sites on a list of national priorities, which is a major step toward getting the cleaning process funded and underway. In the meantime, we should avoid eating any food caught downstream from the pits.

During this National Health Education Week, take a moment to consider how you can improve the quality of your life and the lives of your family members and neighbors. You could do something as simple as fishing in a different spot or as life-changing as quitting smoking. You could get involved in the political process in order to encourage less pollution and faster cleanup of environmental contaminants. Our goal is to make North and East Harris County a better place to call home.