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...
Cancer and our Environment: States leading the fight
Dear Mr. President: Though overall cancer incidence and mortality have continued to decline in recent years, the disease continues to devastate the lives of far too many Americans. In 2009 alone, approximately 1.5 million American men, women, and children were...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...
The Price of Pollution in Michigan
The Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health (MNCEH) and the Ecology Center this week released a report (PDF) estimating the cost of environment-related childhood disease in Michigan called "The Price of Pollution." The report finds that the state of Michigan...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...
Focus on Michigan
Michigan is starting the new year with an aggressive agenda for protecting residents—adults and children alike—from toxic chemicals in the state. The toxics policy approach going into the 2010 legislative session will focus on 1) protecting children from toxic toys...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...
Support the Safe Children's Products Act with your story
This letter was written by Sarah Barba, a mother in Harper Woods, MI. Barba is encouraging other parents to speak out about toxic chemicals in toys: Dear fellow parents and other concerned citizens: I am the mother of two wonderful...Read More...
Giant rubber duckie supports safe toys in Michigan
Michigan legislators introduced a package of bills called the Safe Children's Products Act, which is intended to help parents protect their children from toxic chemicals found in toys and other children's products. A giant 25 foot inflatable duck was at...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...
Michigan House Votes to Restrict Pesticide Lindane
Leading health, medical and environmental groups in Michigan praised the March 17 bipartisan vote to help protect children and our Great Lakes from an outdated treatment for lice and scabies. The Michigan House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed HB 4402 to...Read More...
Michigan: Urge your Representative to regulate toxin
Lindane is a toxic pesticide that has been banned for use in more than 50 countries and the state of California, and is no longer used on pets, in agriculture or in the military anywhere in the U.S., according to...Read More...
Toymaker to pay states $12 million for toxic toys
Toy manufacturer Mattel has settled a lawsuit filed by states after last year’s massive toy recall. Mattel and subsidiary Fisher Price will pay $12 million to 39 states as a part of the settlement, according to an Associated Press story....Read More...
Michigan: Fifty-four incoming state representatives commit to getting toxics out of toys
On Nov. 4 Michigan voters elected at least 54 State Representatives committed to protecting kids from toxic chemicals in toys. In a strong response to the Healthy Michigan, Healthy Kids (HMHK) coalition, nearly 50 percent of all 2009/10 Michigan House...Read More...
Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health
The Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health is a coalition of health professionals, health-affected groups, environmental organizations, and others dedicated to a safe and less toxic world for Michigan's children. Through education, outreach, and advocacy, we seek to protect Michigan's...Read More...
Ecology Center
The Ecology Center (EC) is a membership-based, nonprofit environmental organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded by community activists after the country's first Earth Day in 1970, the Ecology Center is now a regional leader that works for a safe...Read More...
Michigan: Tell candidates to support Healthy Kids platform
Hazardous and untested chemicals don’t belong in toys and other children’s products when safer alternatives are available. Take action today. Tell candidates for the Michigan State House that you support the Healthy Michigan, Healthy Kids platform.Read More...
Michigan: Lend your support to bill banning toxic chemical
Fighting fires shouldn't have toxic consequences. Unfortunately, some of the flame-retardants added to products from furniture to TVs to mattresses may do just that. One of the worst and most common of these chemicals is deca-BDE, which is similar to...Read More...
Michigan: State report supports ban on flame retardants
A new report out from Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality supports a ban on a family of flame retardant chemicals that were designed to protect families from fire. Research has shown that the chemicals leach out of household products like...Read More...
