Toxic chemicals in the workplace: Putting millions of workers at risk
Nearly each day, four million people in the United States go to work as janitors, cleaners, maids, housekeepers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, pesticide handlers and other maintenance occupations. Over 3% of the workforce is employed in these jobs, which are...Read More...
Women Heroes in the Safer States
May is a month focused on women—the month started out with Mother's Day, and the week of May 8 is National Women's Health week, established to empower women to make their health a top priority. Toxic chemicals are an increasingly...Read More...
States join together to get rid of the worst-of-the-worst chemicals
Persistent, bioaccumulative toxics, commonly known as PBTs, are a group of toxic chemicals that are joined together by some common features. Common PBTs in our lives include mercury, DDT, cadmium, lead, and several groups of chemicals including PCBs, toxic flame...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...
Safer States: News Round-Up
There has been a lot of toxics news coming from the states lately. The Safer States organizations have been doing an amazing job of protecting their state's citizens through legislation restricting toxic chemicals. Moreover, elected officials have been hearing the...Read More...
BPA update: Victories in Maryland, Vermont and BPA-free cans
It has only been a few weeks since we have updated you on the fight against Bisphenol-A (BPA) , but we have a lot of news to report. BPA is the ubiquitous chemical that is in hard plastics, can liners,...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...
Chicago bans BPA
Chicago has become the first city to ban bisphenol A (BPA) from children's products. The ban comes on the heels of Minnesota becoming the first state to enact a ban and Suffolk County, NY becoming the first county and first...Read More...
Toxic flame retardants - and their defenders - in the news
Two new studies released this week raise concerns about the widespread contamination of the environment and human health from brominated flame retardants. Flame retardants are found in every day items from sofas to televisions and computers to mattresses. Yet the...Read More...
Illinois' major newspapers favor BPA ban
Three of Illinois’ leading newspapers have come out in favor of a state bill that would ban bisphenol A from children’s beverage containers like baby bottles and sippy cups. The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and the Daily Herald all have...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...
BPA found in soda cans
That the synthetic sex hormone BPA can be found in baby bottles and some water bottles is well known. State and federal legislation, actions by state attorneys general, and market forces have been engaged in the effort to get BPA...Read More...
