States Protect Our Health While Chemical Industry Protects Bottom Line
The Safe Chemicals Act (SCA) of 2011, an update to the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, got its first major hearing in the United States Senate at the end of November. The Toxics Substances Control Act oversees...Read More...
30 States to announce toxic chemicals legislation January 19
In response to continued public concern over the presence of dangerous chemicals in common household products, coupled with Congressional inaction on the matter, on Wednesday, January 19, legislators and advocates in thirty states across the country and the District of...Read More...
National BPA ban fails due to industry pressure
Last week, the federal government got closer than it's ever been to a ban on Bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles and sippy cups -- and failed. The amendment's sponsor was Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). She had brokered an agreement between...Read More...
Fall Elections: Ask your Candidates about Toxic Chemicals
It's election season. And you know what that means: phone calls, door knocks, commercials and pieces of mail requesting your support for a particular candidate. How do you know which candidate should receive your vote? Our candidates need to hear...Read More...
Update on BPA
There's been a lot of Bisphenol-A (BPA) information in the news lately, and we thought we'd bring you a round-up of the latest. We've updated our BPA fact page with this information and more. BPA in Dental Sealants The American...Read More...
ECOS statement on Federal Reform: The states react
The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) has adopted a resolution calling for strong federal legislation to fix our broken chemical safety system. The message is clear: We should honor the state’s authority and role, and harness the energy of...Read More...
Effective federal chemical policy reform? Partner with the states!
This blog was originally published by the Environmental Health Strategy Center. By Mike Belliveau, Executive Director for the Environmental Health Strategy Center. I was pleased to see yet another display of bipartisan state leadership aimed at preventing disease, disability and...Read More...
You acted, Congress answered.
You've been hearing us talk about Safe Chemicals legislation pending in Congress -- the Safe Chemicals Act in the Senate and the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act in the House -- two bills which will overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act...Read More...
The Story of Cosmetics, and the toxins in them
Think of the things in your household that you use every day. For us, it's lipstick, shampoo, make-up, and lotions. Many of us assume that these products are automatically safe and have been regulated by a federal agency. Not true....Read More...
Dispersants debate in Gulf spill highlights need for TSCA reform
Fifty-seven days into the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, the United States is grappling with unfathomable numbers. 60,000 barrels of oil are spilling a day—the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez-sized oil spill every four days. 1.1 million gallons of toxic...Read More...
Call to Action: Ask your lawmakers to protect your family
Over the past couple months, we've been letting you know about the important overhaul of the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act (TSCA) -- a decades-old law that is so outdated that it was written before chemicals like Bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, flame...Read More...
The States react to the President's Cancer Panel
Earlier this month the President's Cancer Panel, a panel of doctors who serve as a medical advisory committee to the President, released a report recommending that Americans take action in order to reduce cancer risk in their lives. The recommendations...Read More...
Cancer and the Environment: The President's Cancer Panel
Last week, the President's Cancer Panel -- a panel of doctors originally appointed by President Bush -- released a damning report underlining the acute need for stronger toxics laws. The report, which was submitted to President Obama before it was...Read More...
The Safe Chemicals Act: The states weigh in
This month, the Safe Chemicals Act was introduced into Congress. This bill will be the overhaul to the Toxic Substances Chemicals Act -- the decades-old law that regulates toxic chemical use in this country. Time magazine said it well when...Read More...
The Safe Chemicals Act: States Still in the Lead
by Laurie Valeriano, Policy Director for the Washington Toxics Coalition. This is a big moment for environmental health advocates and organizations like the Washington Toxics Coalition: today Congress released the Safe Chemicals Act, which is the first draft of a...Read More...
BPA in our oceans: Hard plastics affecting whales and wildlife
This post was originally published by Washington Toxics Coalition. Japanese scientists have uncovered evidence that plastics are decomposing in oceans and releasing toxic chemicals. In tests from more than 200 sites in 20 countries, they discovered higher-than-expected levels of bisphenol...Read More...
Safety of cosmetic products: Who is protecting us?
Our partner organization in Maine -- The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine -- has released a report which analyzed the safety of chemicals that are found in twelve cosmetic and personal care products. The report outlines specific findings...Read More...
Action alert: Ask congress to ban PBTs
We've been talking about TSCA a lot around here -- it's the reform of Toxic Substances Control Act that will soon begin wending its way through the congressional process in Washington DC. It's important because it will update a 1976...Read More...
Washington State mom testifies before Congress
In November, we told you about the Earliest Exposures Report -- a report which described the test results of pregnant women who were tested in Washington, Oregon and California. Despite their best efforts, the mothers-to-be tested with high levels of...Read More...
The health case for TSCA reform
The evidence is clear: Americans will be healthier if exposure to toxic chemicals is reduced, resulting in lower health care costs across the nation. This information is in an analysis released last week titled "The health case for reforming the...Read More...
FDA on BPA: What it means for the states
Imagine that you're the captain of the world's largest oil tanker. And you see danger ahead, and you need to turn that ship around as soon as possible, or at least steer the tanker to get it out of danger....Read More...
EPA Establishes a Chemicals of Concern List
Late last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an intention to create a "Chemicals of Concern" list which would give priority to some chemicals which are of particular danger to Americans. Immediately, phthalates and PBDE chemicals are being added...Read More...
Update on BPA
The message is clear: Americans are getting fed up with the use of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in a tremendous number of products in our lives. Pick up most newspapers, journals and magazines and you will see articles showing health effects and...Read More...
Deca phase-out throughout the United States
We at SAFER states are thrilled with two major developments on the phase out of toxic flame retardants. As a result of action in the SAFER states over the last several years and often mentioned here, the EPA has negotiated...Read More...
13 states dictate principles for toxics reform
Officials from thirteen states joined forces today to dictate a set of eight guiding principles to be used for reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA -- a law from 1976 which provides the EPA with the authority...Read More...
States' Principles on Reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act
On December 2, 2009, 13 states dictated principles for the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Officials from California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington signed the principles. Read...Read More...
FDA delays decision on BPA
Monday, environmental health advocates saw a promised FDA deadline pass. Congressmen Waxman and Stupak formally asked the FDA for a decision about the safety of Bisphenol-A (BPA). Scientific studies have linked BPA to known health effects including impaired brain and...Read More...
Reports from the field: Million Baby Crawl
Last week, in events around the country, thousands of concerned citizens came out in support of the Million Baby Crawl —a joint effort by Seventh Generation and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families to urge Congress to reform toxic chemical policy. The...Read More...
Million Baby Crawl Events - November 18
A couple weeks ago, we told you about the Million Baby Crawl -- a campaign that is being sponsored by Seventh Generation in conjunction with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families to encourage legislative change to tighten federal restrictions on toxic chemicals....Read More...
Join the Million Baby Crawl!
Seventh Generation, a company known for a focus on safe, non-toxic cleaning products, is sponsoring the Million Baby Crawl to to demand toxic chemical policy reform from Congress. The Crawl consists of a virtual baby march. On the site, you...Read More...
Obama, EPA set out to reform chemical regulation
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Obama administration are setting out to reform the nation’s decades-old approach to chemical regulation, according to an announcement made Tuesday by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. Jackson said in a speech that chemical regulation is...Read More...
EPA announces plans to step up chemical regulation
The Environmental Protection Agency’s toxics chief says his agency has plans to dramatically ramp up regulation of toxic chemicals and could go as far as banning some existing chemicals that pose threats to human health. Steve Owens said the EPA...Read More...
Press buzzing over healthystuff.org
The release of healthystuff.org last week had newspapers, bloggers, TV news and radio buzzing. The new site is a resource that rates a variety of products based on the presence of toxic chemicals. Healthystuff.org focuses on toxics in pet products,...Read More...
New site calls out toxic products, points to safe ones
The chew toy your dog plays with, the material of your handbag, the surfaces inside your car – they’re all sources of toxic chemicals in daily life, according to testing results available on the new Web site HealthyStuff.org. Healthystuff.org launches...Read More...
AMA calls for chemical policy reform
The nation's largest association of physicians and medical students has resolved to advocate for improved chemical policy and environmental health practices in the United States. The American Medical Association (AMA) recommended restructuring of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to...Read More...
Toymaker giant Mattel exempt from toxics testing rules
New toy safety regulations are in the news again after the Consumer Product Safety Commission has granted the country’s largest toymaker an exemption. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act requires third-party testing of toys to ensure that toymakers large and...Read More...
BPA industry fights back with tobacco-inspired propaganda
A four-month investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s watchdog reporters has found that the chemical and plastics industries are undertaking a massive million-dollar public relations campaign to distort information about the safety of the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA). The...Read More...
Experts signal seriousness of hormone disruptors
You know something must be going on when a medical specialty organization for endocrinology publishes a scientific paper on chemicals in plastics and pesticides and personal care products. Endocrinology is the study of the endocrine glands, like the thyroid, pituitary,...Read More...
Chemical industry supports reform of toxics law
Today the American Chemistry Council, the trade association for chemical companies, released their “10 Principles” for reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act, the 33 year-old law that is the focus of our campaign. We released our principles as well. The...Read More...
Bottles sold as 'BPA-free' may not be
Baby bottles marketed as "BPA-free" may actually contain the toxic chemical, testing by Canada's public health agency shows. Nine bottle brands tested by Health Canada were found to contain bisphenol A - and two of the nine had high readings...Read More...
Tap water satisfies thirst for knowledge better than bottled
Water drinkers can learn much more about any contaminants present in tap water than they can bottled water, according to two reports released last week. Differences in how the two are regulated have led to gaps in requirements for bottled...Read More...
'Beginning of the end' for phthalates
Canada is planning to ban a variety of phthalates, following the lead of U.S. and European bans. One Canadian environmental advocate said Canada’s move marks “the beginning of the end for this chemical.” The U.S. banned several permutations of phthalates...Read More...
Chemical industry angers demographic it wants to woo
In the aftermath of revelations that representatives of the food packaging and chemical industries met at a swanky Washington D.C. club recently to talk about how to generate positive public opinion on controversial chemical bisphenol A there was one group...Read More...
Chemical industry on the ropes
Chemical and food industry representatives held a closed-door meeting at an exclusive Washington, D.C. club late last week to discuss how to turn the tide of increasingly negative public opinion surrounding the toxic chemical bisphenol A, according to weekend reports...Read More...
Carcinogens put Johnson & Johnson in hot water
In the aftermath of a report revealing that popular Johnson & Johnson baby care products contain carcinogens, a coalition of environmental, health and consumer groups are demanding the company remove the toxins from their product line. The chemicals in question...Read More...
A toxic-free mother's day in Maine
On Friday, May 8, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree got an early Mother’s Day gift from her daughter Hannah Pingree on behalf of all the children of Maine. Hannah Pingree is Maine’s Speaker of the House and the sponsor of last year’s...Read More...
Congress to consider national BPA ban
Congressional leaders have introduced a bill to ban bisphenol A in all food and beverage containers, capping weeks of milestones for the movement to ban BPA. The bill is a big step forward and goes further than some bans being...Read More...
Testimony to Congress affirms need for federal chemical reform
A Congressional hearing about the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) explored the gaps in the 33-year old statute that prevent the U.S. from having an effective chemical safety policy. A number of speakers from the environmental health and justice movements...Read More...
Federal Reform
The nation’s law governing toxic chemicals is fatally flawed and in urgent need of an overhaul by Congress. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) fails to control chemical risks. The 33-year-old law is out of step with recent science that...Read More...
