Poison Everywhere: The Ethics, Law, and Policy Regulation of Environmental Toxicants

The fall SEPP Symposium, held on September 24, 2014, focused on analysis of policy regulation of environmental toxicants. Michael Skinner, professor of biological sciences and principal investigator of the Skinner Laboratory at WSU, began the discussion by sharing his research findings on how environmental toxicants can lead to trans-generational disease. Environmental toxicants that enter a body can still be present generations later. Carl Cranor, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at University of California- Riverside, discussed the ethical and moral implications of the untested chemicals that are in a large majority of goods on the market, for which there are no legally required testing and regulation. Raoul Lievanos, assistant professor in sociology at WSU, discussed the role that public policy plays in maintaining environmental justice, such as protecting citizens from harm.