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8/3/10
Cross the poison plastic off your back-to-school shopping list.
Find safer products for your kids!
CHEJ’s proud to announce the release of our 3rd annual Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies to help parents choose safer, PVC-free school supplies for their kids. Over thirty categories of school supplies, from backpacks to art supplies, are covered in this year’s guide.
Download the guide and wallet-sized version.
Read CHEJ’s press release.
7/22/10
CHEJ & Teamsters Demand End to Toxic Toys R Us at Times Square Flagship Store
Groups Warn that Toys R Us’ Broken Promises May Be Toxic for Kids
Today CHEJ, the Teamsters Union, Clean New York, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, concerned parents, students and consumer activists protested toxic PVC plastic used in toys at the Toys R Us flagship store in Times Square.
Read the press release.
Learn more and download our flyer.
Read the article in Variety
Read our blog post on the action.
6/24/10
Advocates Press EPA for Rigorous School Siting Standards
As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works to complete the first national Guidelines for the Siting of School Facilities, over one hundred environmental and children's health advocacy organizations have joined together to urge EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to set rigorous, child-protective standards for the location of new schools. Read the press release and letter sent to Administrator Jackson.
6/22/10
CHEJ Testifies Before Congress to Save Superfund Program
The Obama administration is pushing Congress to reinstate the polluter pays fees that fund the cleanup of orphaned Superfund sites. CHEJ Executive Director Lois Gibbs testified before the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works on the impact of orphaned sites on local communities. Read the full testimony.
6/18/10
Warning: “Toy Story 3” Partnership with Toys R Us May Be Toxic for Kids
On Saturday, June 19th, Teamsters, concerned parents, environmental health and consumer activists will leaflet movie theaters showing Toy Story 3 in more than twenty-five cities across America. They will distribute comic strips and information detailing the harmful poison plastic contained in Toy Story 3 toys being sold at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co’s (KKR) Toys R’ Us. Read the full press release.
6/11/10
New York City Council Considers Phthalates/BPA Ban
This week the New York City Council called a hearing to consider banning the sale of toys or children’s products containing bisphenol A or phthalates. Read CHEJ's full testimony before the Council.
5/18/10
What’s in your green beans and chicken noodle soup?
Today CHEJ co-released a new national report, No Silver Lining, which found toxic bisphenol A (BPA) in canned foods like green beans and chicken noodle soup. We tested a wide variety of products, including fish, fruits, vegetables, soups, and more, and found BPA in foods from 92% of the cans we tested. Our new report reveals that BPA is a routine contaminant in canned foods.
What can you do?
1) Read the report, and educate yourself and your family!
2) Take Action! Urge your Senator to support national legislation to ban BPA in food and drink containers. .
4/14/10
CHEJ Kicks Off PVC-Free Statewide Speaking Tour in NY
CHEJ founder, Lois Gibbs will be traveling to universities across New York state over the next two weeks to introduce our new PVC-Free Schools Campaign. See the full schedule and download the new student activist toolkit.
3/31/10
Scientists, Advocates to EPA: “Protect Families from Cancer-Causing Dioxin”
The time for incremental progress is passed, according to scientists, advocates and activists gathered to respond to the EPA’s draft cleanup goals for the cancer-causing chemical dioxin. The draft standard is based only on non-cancer health effects and does not adequately address the known carcinogenic properties of dioxin. Read the Press Release or visit our Resource Page for studies and coalition letters.
1/26/10
70+ Organizations Call on EPA to Correct Environmental Injustices at Idaho Superfund Site
CHEJ is working with the community impacted by the Bunker Hill Mine & Metallurgical Site in Idaho to fight for a safe cleanup plan. Joined by over 70 groups nationwide, from the Breast Cancer Fund, to the Sierra Club, CHEJ sent a letter to EPA today in support of the Bunker Hill community. Read the release and the letter.
1/19/10
FDA's BPA Announcement is an About Face on the Toxic Chemical
The FDA continues to lag behind consumer demand for safe, BPA-free products. In a recent announcement, the FDA upgraded bisphenol-A to a ‘chemical of concern’ and supports a ‘shift to a more robust regulatory framework for oversight of BPA.’ Meanwhile consumer advocates continue to lead the way in increasing the market for BPA-free alternatives. Watch CBS coverage of the story. Or read CHEJ's press release.
12/30/09
NY State Purchasing Committee Considers Chemical Avoidance List
CHEJ staff testified in Albany this week before a state government committee to support the adoption of a Chemical Avoidance List to guide the state's purchasing practices. For full comments on how the proposed Chemical Avoidance List will “put the marketplace on notice” and “reduce [the state’s] toxic footprint”, read the release.
11/4/09
Consumer Reports Finds BPA in Nearly All Canned Food Samples
In the wake of a new Consumer Reports study that found BPA in common, name-brand canned goods, the Center for Health, Environment & Justice and other environmental groups have joined forces to call on the FDA to act immediately to protect consumers from this hazardous chemical in our food supply. Read the release and Consumer Report’s original study.
10/15/09
CHEJ Praises EPA for Developing Dioxin Cleanup Goals – Expresses Concern About Delays
In response to the EPA’s new plans for addressing Dioxin contamination, the Center for Health, Environment & Justice’s Executive Director Lois Gibbs issued the following statement:
“We’re pleased the public will be able to comment on them as it’s critically important for EPA to hear from communities impacted by Dioxin, such as residents living near Dow Chemical in Midland, MI.” Read full statement here.
10/01/09
WWI Chemical Found in Air Outside 15 Public Schools
During World War I, acrolein was used to create a chemical weapon to irritate the skin and lungs of enemy soldiers. Today, this same compound has been found in the air surrounding fifteen public schools being monitored under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Schools Monitoring Initiative. Read the news release.
9/24/09
PVC Packaging Found to Contain Toxic Metals Banned in 19 States
This week’s Sustainable Packaging Forum could not come at a better time as a new study by the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse found toxic levels of heavy metals in over 50% of PVC packaging tested.
Click here for the press release.
9/2/09
Ten Thousand Parents Say No to Toxic School Supplies
Parents across the country are banding together to give their children a safe back-to-school sendoff this morning by keeping toxic school supplies out of children’s backpacks and organizing to keep those toxic binders and lunchboxes off of store shelves. Under the leadership of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) and MomsRising, over 10,000 parents have organized to petition retailers to take polyvinyl chloride (PVC) school supplies off store shelves. Sign the petition here.
Click here for the press release
8/4/09
CHEJ Releases PVC-Free Back-to-School Guide
Need help keeping poison plastics off of your back to school shopping list? The Center for Health, Environment & Justice has created this Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies to empower you to make smarter, healthier shopping choices for a toxic-free future. To find out about the most common back-to-school supplies made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) plastics and learn about safer PVC-free alternatives, download the guide here.
We also created a handy wallet-sized version of the guide for your shopping needs on the go click here.
Click here for the press release
7/10/09
Congressional Briefing Looks at Benefits of Refinancing Superfund
This week, Lois Gibbs, CHEJ Executive Director presented the case for renewing Superfund polluter pays fees at a Congressional briefing sponsored by Rep. Blumenauer. Superfund sites are the most toxically polluted sites in the country. They endanger the health of local communities and inhibit economic growth. Read Lois’s full remarks here.
7/2/09
EPA Misses School Siting Guideline Release Deadline
On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency missed an important deadline to develop guidelines for the safe siting of public schools. In December of 2007, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act which included a provision requiring the EPA to develop model guidelines by Tuesday, June 30, 2009. Click here
6/30/09
CHEJ Releases New Media & Messaging Tool Kit
Struggling to make your voice heard over industry’s public relations consultants? Trying to get your side of the story covered by the newspapers? Wondering where to start? CHEJ is here to help with our new Media & Messaging Tool Kit of fact sheets, sample news releases and more. Find all the tips and tricks to help your group compete with the corporate media machine. Click here to view the Tool Kit.
6/22/09
Mothers Ask First Lady to Host Forum on Safe School Siting
Mothers across the country submitted letters today to First Lady, Michelle Obama , asking for her support and leadership in the fight for state and federal school siting guidelines. Over 400 mothers sent letters as part of a campaign coordinated by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice.Click here for the press release.
5/28/09
EPA Pushes Forward With Misguided Bush-Era Policies on Toxic Dioxin
Under pressure from a coalition of environmental groups headed by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), the EPA has promised an acceleration of the latest review of the comprehensive human health and exposure assessment for dioxin. CHEJ is concerned about loopholes in the EPA’s plans. “This plan is merely moving forward with the Bush agenda; not accelerating the release of the dioxin report,” said Lois Gibbs. Click here for the press release and community letters and statements to the EPA.
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