99.9% of Layoffs Are Not Environmentally Related
	Layoff �Events�		Workers Laid Off
Year	Total	Environmental	Total	Environmental
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001	5,697 5,683 5,851 5,675 5,620 8,350	7 5 7 13 7 3	1,184,355 1,146,115 1,227,573 1,149,276 1,170,427 1,751,187	1,098 541 1,538 3,394 1,142 445
Average	6,146	7	1,271,487	1,360
% Environmental		0.1%		0.1%
Layoff �Events�: Employers reporting 50 or more workers out of work for 31 or more days. Total: Layoffs for all reasons. Environmental: Layoffs for environmental reasons. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 14, 2002

BE SAFE's FOUR PRINCIPLES

1. HEED EARLY WARNING SIGNS
Workers are usually the first to be injured by careless and wasteful business practices that contaminate the workplace and surrounding community and are often exposed to higher levels of toxic chemicals than the population-at-large. As a result, illnesses related to exposure often show up first in workers�the �canaries in the coal mine�. Early warning signs of the hazards of vinyl chloride were first recognized when workers using this chemical developed a rare form of cancer. Infertility and cancer among agricultural workers exposed to pesticides, and birth defects and cancer in their children, also pointed to a link between workplace exposures and serious health effects. [Ackerman]

The precautionary approach guides us to act early to prevent likely harm to workers and communities from toxic exposures. By heeding early warning signs and taking precautionary action to prevent chemical exposures, we can prevent untold suffering from cancers and other devastating health problems, and save society huge costs associated with treatment.

2. PUT SAFETY FIRST
We must continue to promote the use of alternative products and production processes that reduce or eliminate workplace health hazards. Environmental regulations, clean production, and use of safe alternatives can create high-quality job opportunities. The economic costs of inaction can be enormous, far outweighing any economic costs of precautionary action. In the vast majority of cases, a precautionary approach will actually benefit workers and the economy by stimulating innovation and creating safe, relatively high-paying, unionized jobs. [Ackerman]

3. EXERCISE DEMOCRACY
As environmental awareness and regulations to protect the environment have increased, more and more businesses are operating under a new environmental ethic that profit should not occur at the expense of societal well-being or destruction of natural resources. However, this shift in corporate thinking would not have taken place without environmental regulations, consumer pressure, and re-education of management. [Yapijakis] We need to support and promote environmentally conscious businesses and protective worker safety policies.

BE SAFE Platform is coordinated by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice. Contact us at CHEJ, P.O. Box 6806, Falls Church, VA 22040, 703-237-2249, or 518-732-4538, or visit www.besafenet.com

4. CHOOSE THE SAFEST SOLUTIONS

Spread the Word
Help dispel the �jobs vs. environment� myth. Let people know about the studies that show strong environmental protections contribute to job growth.

Support Worker Safety
Support local campaigns to protect workers. Contact the national AFL-CIO Health & Safety Department at www.aflcio.org/safety/ and the National Council on Occupational Safety & Health (COSH) at www.coshnetwork.org about activities in your region.

Join BE SAFE.
Take precautionary action for a healthy workplace, environment and economy. Sign on to the BE SAFE Platform on the next page. Be counted when we deliver this national Platform to the White House in 2005. Endorse the BE SAFE Platform today at www.besafenet.com.

Your Vote Counts.
The next election will set the country�s course on asphalt plant regulations. For information on environmental voting records, contact www.sierraclub.org and www.lcv.org. To register to vote, contact www.earthday.net

Lessons Learned from Asbestos:
Heed Early Warning Signs &
Take Precautionary Action

A $30 Billion Mistake in The Netherlands
The tragedy of asbestos exposure provides one illustration of the costs of inaction. The hazards of asbestos exposure (primarily lung disease) were first identified over 100 years ago, and the case against asbestos steadily grew in the 20th century as exposure was repeatedly linked to cancer. A 1999 study looked at the illnesses, deaths, and associated costs that have resulted from asbestos exposure in just one country�the Netherlands. It is estimated by 2030 some 52,000 Dutch people will have suffered from asbestos-related diseases, and $30 billion will have to be spent to address asbestos-related problems. This includes money spent on asbestos removal, medical treatment of victims, compensation to victims, clean-up costs after asbestos fires, disposal, and other attempts to repair the damage. This is just the monetary cost; it does not include the agony of the deaths and illnesses due to asbestos. This enormous human and monetary cost could have been avoided by paying attention to the early warnings of the health and environmental hazards of asbestos.

U.S. Ban & Worker Compensation Needed
Even though asbestos exposure has been linked to cancer since the 1930s, the US was still debating the issue until the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the production and distribution of asbestos in 1989. Unfortunately, the US ban was overturned three years later by a federal appeals court, and EPA has not proposed a new ban since. Thousands of injured U.S. workers have been fighting for years in the courts and Congress for adequate compensation. We must take precautionary action now to provide compensation to injured workers and ban asbestos in the US to prevent further deaths from this silent killer.



Precautionary Action Benefits Workers & Economy

Jobs vs. Environment Myth. There is a widely held misconception that environmental regulations harm our economy and put Americans out of work. One reason the �jobs versus the environment� mindset has gained momentum in the US is due to a shift from manufacturing-oriented jobs to service-oriented jobs over the last 20 years that coincided with an increase in environmental regulations over the same period. Americans have felt the loss of millions of manufacturing jobs since the 1980s, but the contributing factors are largely increased competition from imports, shifts in demand, technological changes, corporate downsizing, and defense cutbacks. [Yapijakis] Another misconception is that environmental regulations cause US companies to relocate to countries with lower standards. However, most businesses move to gain access to new markets, find cheaper labor, escape from taxes, or gain political stability and influence. These factors have a much greater affect on profitability than the costs of complying with environmental regulations, which rarely amount to 2-3% of a company�s sales revenue. [Ackerman] Safety & Precautionary Action Increases Jobs. Economists have repeatedly found that there is no association between environmental regulations and employment. Contrary to widespread belief, environmental regulations have rarely (if ever) caused businesses to shut down or flee to countries with weaker standards. The opposite is more often true: environmental regulations, clean production, and implementation of safe alternatives can create high-quality job opportunities. Studies have found environmental regulations have a positive impact on overall employment. Environmental protection creates more than 1,360 jobs annually, thus creating a net increase in employment. [Ackerman] The US environmental industry is now a hundred billion dollar business employing over a million people in a variety of technical, service, and policy-oriented jobs, as compared to 25 years ago when it was a $10 billion business mainly focused on handling waste. [Yapijakis] A study to test the likely effects of environmental regulations on employment in the most polluting U.S. industries � pulp and paper, plastics, petroleum, and steel�found no evidence that environmental regulations play a major role. [Morgenstein] Healthy Economy & Environment. Environmentally sound processes can be more labor intensive than the alternatives they replace: for instance, recycling creates more jobs than land filling. Energy efficient policies likewise can create local jobs: instead of buying oil from abroad, we can buy domestic products such as insulation and support energy-efficient construction. Jobs created in support of environmental protection policies are securely rooted in the domestic economy�the money generated from environmental measures do not rely on imports or exports from other countries. As one of the world leaders on environmental protection and clean manufacturing and energy technologies, our country has an unprecedented opportunity to leverage our know-how to promote a global standard showing that a healthy economy and a healthy environment go hand-in-hand. (See Clean Production Brochure.) 99.9% of all Layoffs are Not Environmentally Related. As illustrated in the table on page 2, government data reveal few manufacturing plants shut down as a result of environmental or safety regulations. [Ackerman] Of course, this does not automatically help a laid-off coal miner or logger. While net increases in employment are essential for a healthy economy, it is equally important to provide income support and retraining opportunities for the workers who lose their jobs, including the 999 out of 1,000 who lose their jobs for reasons other than environmental protection. (See Just Transition Brochure.)
BE SAFE: Take Precautionary Action For A Healthy Workplace, Environment & Economy.