NIEHS Hosts Teacher Workshop

degradation of the substance shows that there may be signficant exposure of humans or the environment; * Targets: the size and nature of the population at risk (human and other species) and the risks for the environment should be taken into account; and * International concern: the substance should be ofmajor interest to several countries. Target chemicals for evaluation were set by U.N. member countries at the first meeting of the International Forum on Chemical Safety in 1994. OECD has a program to test and assess high production volume (HPV) chemicals which began in 1990 and currently includes 220 HPV chemicals; evaluations have been finalized for 45. Results of these evaluations will be published in cooperation with the IPCS. For additional information on this joint effort, contact George C. Native American tribal leaders met in December to confront growing concerns about the environment on tribal lands at the second annual meeting of the National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC) in Reno, Nevada. Jerry Pardilla, interim executive director of the council, noted that NTEC was founded by 7 tribes in 1991 and has now grown to 53 member tribes from 16 states. "While there is great diversity in our tribal cultures, geography, and governance," Pardilla said, "we are striving to develop a tribal environmental strategy which respects our differences and builds upon our common experiences." The meeting was co-sponsored by the NIEHS. Kenneth Olden, director ofNIEHS, was the keynote speaker. Olden's address, entitled, "Protecting the Environment, Protecting the Children," highlighted the research initiatives of the NIEHS focused on the issue of environmental justice. Olden said, "Institute efforts recognize that residents in a local area are the starting point for effective research as well as prevention and intervention programs in environmental health sciences ... When scientists work collabora-tively with grassroots groups such as the National Tribal Environmental Council, we do science that more immediately improves people's health." The NIEHS involvement in the conference is just one aspect of the institute's efforts to address concerns of Native Americans. Last spring, the NTEC hosted a two-day visit by Olden and members of his staff to Pueblo homes near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Leadership of the NTEC also I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ie z OthfrnlieK-12tahr n IH tafmta eetwrshpo cec ieay participated in the NIEHS Environmental Justice Symposium in February 1994 that brought together grassroots environmental groups from around the country with key environmental officials from the federal government. During that …