Victory: Toxics Use Reduction Program funded
Posted on May 28, 2010
Last night the Massachusetts State Senate voted in favor of an amendment to the State Budget to fund the Toxics Use Reduction Act Program - the last major step towards maintaining funding for this important program.
The Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) Program, has been a national leader in reducing the use and release of toxic chemicals. In it's 20+ years of existence, the TURA program has worked with Massachusetts companies to reduce 40% of their use and 80% of their release of toxic chemicals, all while saving million of dollars.
This year the funding for TURA was in jeopardy. In the Fiscal Year 2010 Massachusetts state budget, the funding for the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) (the backbone of the program, based at UMass Lowell) was eliminated and the Institute stayed afloat only through federal stimulus funds, not a long term solution.
Read more...Governor's budget funds Toxics Use Reduction Program
Posted on Jan 28, 2010Kudos to Governor Deval Patrick! In a step forward towards a victory for the public health and the environment, Patrick restored funding for the agencies involved in implementing the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) program in his proposed fiscal year 2011 budget issued yesterday.
Particularly important is that in Patrick’s budget, money from fees paid by companies that use toxic chemicals, would be spent on funding the program to help them use and release fewer toxic chemicals. That’s what the TURA law intended (though it’s not what’s been done in recent years), Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow has pushed for this, and it is exactly what the Governor has proposed to do.
Governor issues Environmental Purchasing Executive Order
Posted on Nov 10, 2009 Thanks to an executive order issued by Governor Deval Patrick on October 27th, from now on the Massachusetts state agencies will be using their purchasing power to purchase products and services that are less toxic and more environmentally sustainable. The executive order directs the executive branch office and agencies to "...reduce their impact on the environment and enhance public health by procuring Environmentally Preferable Products and services (EPPs) whenever such products and services are readily available, perform to satisfactory standards, and represent best value."
This is a long awaited victory for the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow. Since 2007 we have been pressing the governor for specific policy proposals to reduce toxic chemical use in Massachusetts, including in the area of state purchasing.
Read more...Save TURI Now!
Posted on Jul 24, 2009 For 20 years, Massachusetts businesses have had a unique resource to help them reduce their toxic chemicals use and release: the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI). We are on the verge of losing this incredible resource; TURI’s funding was eliminated in the state budget. Please write to your state legislators now!
On June 29th, Governor Patrick signed the FY2010 state budget which, unfortunately, eliminated funding for the Toxic Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at UMass-Lowell. For the past two decades, TURI has worked with companies in Massachusetts to reduce their use of toxic chemicals and their toxic waste.
Read more...
The Safer Cleaning Products Bill
Posted on May 1, 2009Toxic cleaning chemicals threaten the health of the workers who use them and the children and adults who live, work or study in the buildings where they are used. Cleaning chemicals have been linked to asthma, certain types of cancers, reproductive problems, stillbirths, and birth defects.
That is why AHT is supporting H-2161 An Act to Require Environmentally Safe Alternatives to Harmful Cleaning Products. The Safe Cleaning Products bill would reduce asthma and other health threats by requiring that only cleaning products approved by the Department of Public Health be used in schools, day care centers, public buildings, or common areas of public housing in Massachusetts.
Read more...Legislative Timeline
Posted on Feb 28, 2009
2009-2010 Legislative Session
January - February 2009
Safer Alternatives bill, H-757 An Act for a Competitive Economy Through Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals, filed by Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) and Senator Steven Tolman (D-Brighton) with 99 Representatives and 35 Senators signed on as co-sponsors.
Safe Cleaning Products Bill, H-2161 An Act to Require Environmentally Safe Alternatives to Harmful Cleaning Products, filed by Representative Frank Smizik (D-Brookline) with 45 co-sponsors.
Read more...Legislative Priorities 2007 - 2008
Posted on Jan 6, 2008
Top Legislative Priority: The Safer Alternatives Bill
S-2481 - An Act Providing for Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals
Sponsors: Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington), Senator Steven Tolman (D-Brighton)
The Safer Alternatives Bill will establish a pragmatic, gradual approach to reducing health impacts from many toxic chemicals we are exposed to in everyday life.
This approach targets the worst toxic chemicals in Massachusetts—chemicals that are currently replaceable with safer alternatives for many uses.
Read more...Executive Order
Posted on Nov 1, 2007
AHT is working with Governor Deval Patrick’s administration to protect public health and the environment from unnecessary toxic chemicals.
In 2007 AHT submitted a memo to the administration detailing specific policy proposals to reduce toxic chemical use in Massachusetts.
The administration is now in the process of drafting an Executive Order to address this issue.
AHT's policy proposals fell into the following categories:
Read more...Safe Cleaning Products Bill Co-sponsors 2007-2008
Posted on Mar 3, 2007
The following legislators co-sponsored H-2246 - An Act to Require Environmentally Safe Alternatives to Harmful Cleaning Products or S-2204 - An Act to Reduce Asthma and Other Health Threats from Cleaning Products Used in Schools, Hospitals and Public Housing.
To find out who your legislators are visit www.wheredoivotema.com
Representatives (29)
- Willie Mae Allen
- William Brownsberger
- Linda Dean Campbell
- Steven D’Amico Read more...
AHT Victory! Mercury Products Bill Signed into Law
Posted on Jul 31, 2006
Photo: Elizabeth Saunders, Clean Water Action (center) stands surrounded by AHT activists for a news conference before delivering “toxic tuna” to Senators’ offices.
Mercury Phase-out Mandated: Mercury Products Bill Signed Into Law!
A 5 year campaign of the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow ended with victory on Friday, July 28th when Governor Mitt Romney signed legislation to curb mercury pollution in Massachusetts. The bill, An Act Relative to Mercury Management, is among the strongest of an increasing number of state laws across the country that will dramatically reduce emissions resulting from the use of mercury-containing products.
