Safer Alternatives sign-on letter for Massachusetts Senators
Posted on Feb 4, 2012Senator Katherine Clark is a mother, Senator Sal DiDomenico is a father, Senator Ken Donnelly is a former firefighter, Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz is concerned about the damaging effects that toxic chemicals can have on low-income communities in her district. These senators have very personal reasons to support the Safer Alternatives Bill. They all want to vote for it.
The problem is they may never get that chance because many bills never get voted on. This week, Senators have the opportunity to make it known that they want to vote for the Safer Alternatives Bill.
The Safer Alternatives Bill is currently before the Senate Ways and Means Committee (W&M). Senator Mark Pacheco has written a letter to W&M Chairman, Senator Stephen Brewer, to ask him to give the bill a "favorable report," and is inviting other senators to sign the letter with him. We can help by urging as many Senators as possible to sign this letter.
Read more...28 State Legislatures Tackling Toxic Chemicals
Posted on Jan 26, 2012
With no action yet from Congress, state legislatures continue to work to protect citizens.
(Boston, MA) - In 2012, Massachusetts and 27 other state legislatures will consider bills that address concerns over toxic chemicals in consumer products, according to a new analysis by Safer States, a national coalition of state-based environmental organizations. Bills to be introduced this year will cover a broad list of topics, including safer alternatives to toxic chemicals to bans on toxic chlorinated Tris flame retardants and cadmium, and requirements that makers of consumer products publicly disclose chemicals in products.
Read more...“As a mother, I want to know that children and families are safe from toxic hazards,” said Senator Katherine Clark (D), Massachusetts state senator and mother of 3. “We can and must do a better job of protecting our children and the whole family from chemicals linked to cancer and other health effects. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Massachusetts and around the country to pass legislation that moves us towards a safer society.”
Hidden hazards in the nursery: flame retardants
Posted on Jan 11, 2012Popular baby products, including nursing pillows and car seats purchased in Massachusetts, contain toxic flame retardants linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and other health effects, according to a new report released today by the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer States. Children and families are exposed to the compounds, called tris chemicals, when they escape from household items and contaminate house dust and indoor air.
In Massachusetts, the proposed Safer Alternatives Bill (S-2079) would replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives wherever that's feasible. The program to be created by the bill would focus on toxic chemicals used in ways that result in exposure to children or workers.
Read more...A toxics-free New Year's resolution for the MA Senate
Posted on Jan 3, 2012From all of us at the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Happy New Year! The legislative session resumes today, and protection from toxic chemicals should be a top priority for senators in 2012.
Please call your state senator and ask him or her to make a New Year's Resolution to pass the Safer Alternatives Bill.
Step 1: Find out who your state senator is if you don't know already.
Step 2: Place your calls. Use the State House Switchboard: 617-722-2000 or find their direct office numbers. When you reach your senator, or one of their staff members, tell them your name and where you live, and urge them to:
Read more...Video: Superheroes to Congress - Safe Chemicals Now!
Posted on Dec 13, 2011The primary US law aimed at protecting our health from toxic chemicals is the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA. TSCA was passed in 1976 and has not been updated since then.
In 1976, Gerald Ford was president, The Washington DC Metro ran its first train, Elvis Presley was still performing, no one had heard of the internet yet and rotary phones were still the norm. We've come a long way since 1976, but unfortunately, our nation's chemical law has not.
TSCA was a poorly written law when it was passed. The EPA was not even able to use it to regulate the known carcinogen asbestos in the 1980s. Even if it had been an effective law then, it would need updating. We have learned so much about toxic chemicals and our use of them has changed so much since 1976.
Enter the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011. In April, Senators Frank Lautenberg, Barbara Boxer, Amy Klobuchar, Charles Schumer and others introduced the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 to upgrade America's outdated system for managing chemical safety and to protect families from toxic chemicals linked to serious health problems.
In August, moms and kids dressed as superheros and paid visits to the Boston offices of Massachusetts Senators Scott Brown and John Kerry to ask them to be heroes and co-sponsor the Safe Chemicals Act. Watch the video of their day of action to see some young superheros with a powerful message:
Read more...Take Action: National Call-in Day for Safe Chemicals
Posted on Dec 13, 2011Today parents, nurses, doctors, college students, and people like you are calling their Senators to ask for common sense limits on toxic chemicals. Join the fun, it only takes two minutes!
What You Can Do:
Massachusetts residents, call Senator Scott Brown and Senator John Kerry's Washington DC Offices. A friendly staff member will answer the phone, or you’ll be asked to leave a message. Please ask our Massachusetts Senators to co-sponsor the Safe Chemicals Act and let them know what city or town you live in. Then report your call to us so that we can keep track.
Senator Brown: (202) 224-4543
Senator Kerry: (202) 224-2742
A hurdle cleared: Safer Alternatives Bill reported out of committee
Posted on Nov 16, 2011In Massachusetts those seeking to protect themselves and their families from toxic chemicals linked to cancer, asthma, reproductive disorders, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, learning disabilities and more have been waiting (and advocating) for a long time for passage of a law to help with that task. The Safer Alternatives Bill, which will require companies using toxic chemicals to use safer alternatives when they're available is in its 9th year before the state legislature.
This week that bill has cleared the first hurdle in it's journey towards becoming a law in the 2011-2012 legislative session: the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture released the bill on Tuesday.
Read more...New Report Finds BPA in Popular Thanksgiving Canned Food
Posted on Nov 15, 2011There may be an unwelcome guest at your Thanksgiving table this year: toxic bisphenol-A. A new report by the Breast Cancer Fund has found this endocrine disrupting chemical in canned foods used to prepare a typical Thanksgiving dinner.
BPA in Thanksgiving Canned Food shows the results from testing four cans each of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup; Campbell’s Turkey Gravy; Carnation Evaporated Milk (by Nestle); Del Monte Fresh Cut Sweet Corn, Cream Style; Green Giant Cut Green Beans (by General Mills); Libby’s Pumpkin (by Nestle); and Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce. One set of cans was purchased in Massachusetts. Single servings of almost half of the products tested had levels of BPA comparable to levels that laboratory studies have shown may cause health problems.
Read more...Baby's Tub Is Still Toxic; J & J announces toxics phase out
Posted on Nov 1, 2011More than two years after leading health and parents' groups asked Johnson & Johnson to reformulate its flagship baby shampoo to remove a cancer-causing chemical, the company is still using formaldehyde-releasing preservatives in Johnson's Baby Shampoo in some countries (including the U.S.), while formulas sold in other countries are free of these chemicals, according to an analysis released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (of which the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow is a founding member).
Why the double standard? Don't all babies deserve to be protected from unnecessary exposures to carcinogens? The Campaign in this release called on Johnson & Johnson to stand up and make a commitment to remove formaldehyde from all its baby products in all the markets it serves.
In response to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, Baby's Tub is Still Toxic, Johnson & Johnson has released a statement saying it is phasing out formaldehyde-releasing chemicals from its baby products worldwide. See statement.
Video: Why we support the Safer Alternatives Bill
Posted on Oct 19, 2011"My grandfather passed away from cancer using similar products that we use [in our autobody shop] on a daily basis."
"My younger sister has Aspergers."
"Shifting the chemical industry onto a safer path actually helps the entire US economy and you'll see jobs being created."
"My dad was recently diagnosed with emphysema and he worked next to an asbestos landfill and was a mechanic for a very long time. He worked with lots of toxic chemicals."
"It's priceless the cost of your life. You can't put a dollar on life and health."
These are just a few of the motivations that brought advocates, business owners, health care providers and economic experts together at the Massachusetts State House on a July morning this summer. This powerful team came together to testify in support of the Safer Alternatives Bill which will create a program to replace toxic chemicals in our products, workplaces, and communities with safer alternatives. We captured their stories in a powerful video.
Watch the video to hear from some of these people about why they have joined the effort to pass the Safer Alternatives Bill and protect our health from toxic chemicals, then share it with your friends, family, colleagues...and your legislators.
Take Action:
As Kelly Johnson said, "It's time to do the right thing."
Share this video with your Massachusetts state legislators today. Encourage them to watch the video and to heed its message.
Then use one of the buttons at the top of this page to share the video with your friends.
The event that this group came together for was a public hearing on the Safer Alternatives Bill held by the Massachusetts legislature's Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. Read more about the hearing.
Mass. Senate supports federal TSCA reform
Posted on Oct 12, 2011Yesterday the Massachusetts Senate took a stand for our health by urging Congress to reform the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act.
At the urging of Senator Steven Tolman (D-Brighton), the Senate adopted a resolution, "Memorializing the Congress of United States to support legislation that reforms the federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976." California and Illinois passed similar resolutions earlier this year.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), passed in 1976 under President Gerald Ford, is our nation’s main law aimed at regulating chemicals used in everyday products. It is out of date and ineffective at protecting the public from chemicals that have been linked to cancer, learning disabilities, asthma, reproductive problems, and other serious diseases.
Read more...Superhero moms & kids ask Senators for Safe Chemicals Act
Posted on Aug 11, 2011 "Who says politics has to be dull?" asks Kristi Marsh of Easton, who came with her 3 children to yesterday's "stroller brigade for safer chemicals" in Boston. All four Marshes, along with about 30 other moms and kids, donned superhero capes and visted the offices of Senators Brown and Kerry to urge them to be heros by co-sponsoring the Safe Chemicals Act.
The Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (S.847), introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (NJ) would increase chemical safety, inform consumers and the marketplace on chemical hazardous and protect vulnerable populations like pregnant women and children. Yesterday's event was one of 17 around the country.
Enjoy these photos of super-moms and -kids from the day! You can see more pictures on our facebook page. For more information read our press release about the event.
Read more...Environment Committee Chairs voice support for Safer Alternatives
Posted on Jul 15, 2011 The case for safer alternatives to toxic chemicals certainly ruled the day at the Massachusetts Legislature's Environment Committee hearing on Tuesday. And what a team effort it was that made that happen.
The team of 19 experts and advocates giving testimony in support of the Safer Alternatives Bill did a phenomenal job and covered a wide range of topics. Starting off the day was Tiffany Skogstrom of the Boston Public Health Commission talking about the Commission's successful program to support auto body shops in the city to replace certain toxic chemicals with safer alternatives. She was followed by Bobby Haynes, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO who, in no uncertain terms, debunked the industry-lobbyist-promoted myth that this bill will lose jobs in the state. Tedd Saunders, co-owner of the Saunders Hotel Group which owns and operates hotels up and down the eastern seabord backed that up by talking about his company's successful efforts to bring safer alternatives into their hotels.
Read more...Take Action: Safer Alternatives Bill hearing coming soon
Posted on Jun 29, 2011 On July 12th the Environment Committee of the Massachusetts Legislature will hold a public hearing on the Safer Alternatives Bill. This is the Alliance's opportunity to show the huge support for the bill that exists among academic experts, medical professionals, labor unions, advocacy groups, and the general public. We are working to put together a line up of people to testify who can represent that diversity of support and articulate the positive impacts that this bill will have on health, the environment, and the economy in Massachusetts.
Another group of supporters who are needed to help make the case for the bill at the hearing are legislators. Massachusetts residents, that's where you come in! There are 78 state legislators who co-sponsored the bill this session and even more who support it. But co-sponsoring is just the beginning. If legislators don't keep advocating for the bill throughout the session, it will never be brought to a vote (so far it's been over 8 years that this bill has been pending). This hearing is one opportunity for them to actively support the bill, and they might need a nudge from you to make it happen.
Read more...Margo: Not many things shock me anymore
Posted on Jun 8, 2011 by Margo Simon Golden, MPH
We have all been touched by cancer. I was in my thirties, married for nine months, and diagnosed with breast cancer. Four years later, now ten years ago, my breast cancer metastasized to my lungs. I am grateful and thankful to all the dedicated men and women, past and present, in all capacities, who helped to develop treatment options and hope that I never run out of options. I also support the common sense approach of preventing cancer before it starts. True prevention of breast cancer is eliminating carcinogens. Prevention is the cure.
Since being diagnosed, not many things shock me anymore. Yet, at a Silent Spring Institute forum and in a recent interview, Margaret Kripke, Ph.D., a co-author of the April 2010 President’s Cancer Panel report, Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now, did just that.
Pat: The Scent of a Problem
Posted on Jun 1, 2011 By Katherine Friedrich, Based on an interview with Pat Smith
Pat Smith had over 30 years of experience as a registered nurse. She’d been working in the same office for five years. She was used to her routine at work and at home. Since she believed products had to smell good to be clean, she used perfumed lotions, scented shampoo, dryer sheets and commercial detergent.
When Pat noticed a musty smell in the carpet near her desk at work one day, she thought one of her coworkers had spilled something. But the smell didn’t go away. Over the next few weeks, Pat developed a chronic headache. At first, she was able to keep it at bay by taking Advil. Once she began forgetting everyday tasks, feeling dizzy, having double vision, and walking into office furniture, she realized she had a serious health problem. Her coworkers were also feeling ill - especially after they sat at her desk.
Pat discovered the carpet had been sprayed with a pyrethroid insecticide.
Jessica Alba joins the fight for safer alternatives to toxic chemicals
Posted on May 25, 2011Actress, activist, and mother Jessica Alba made a trip to Washington DC this week to lend her influential voice to the effort to protect our health from toxic chemicals. Alba, who is pregnant with her second child, joined the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families campaign and moms from around the country in meeting with Key members of congress to ask them to co-sponsor the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (S. 847), recently introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).
Among her stops was a meeting with Senator Scott Brown from Massachusetts, where she was joined by Massachusetts mom and cancer survivor, Erin Boles, of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition. (Pictured here from left to right are Boles, Brown, Alba and Lindsay Dahl of the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families campaign.)
Read more...Toxic flame retardants found in baby products
Posted on May 19, 2011 We didn't really need another reason to pass the Safer Alternatives Bill so that we can start to transition away from toxic chemicals and to safer alternatives, but this week we got one anyway.
A study of products designed for newborns, babies, and toddlers – including car seats, breast feeding pillows, changing pads, crib wedges, bassinet mattresses and other items made with polyurethane foam – found that 80% of products tested contained chemical flame retardants that are considered toxic, according to a peer-reviewed study published in Environmental Science & Technology Journal. Other retardants discovered had so little health and safety data on them it is not possible to know their effects at this time. The same flame retardants found in some of the products are also found in children’s bodies and widely dispersed throughout the environment and in food.
Read more...Food packaging as a source of BPA & DEHP exposure
Posted on Apr 13, 2011 In March the Newton, Massachusetts based Silent Spring Institute published a new study that is the first to show that food packaging is the major source of people’s exposure to the hormone disruptors BPA and DEHP, and that a fresh food diet reduces levels in adults and children by half, after just three days. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives on March 30.
BPA and DEHP are hormone disruptors—chemicals that may affect breast and other hormonal cancers, reproduction, and development. DEHP and two other phthalates measured in this study were recently banned under Europe’s REACH regulation because of concerns about reproductive toxicity.
The good news is that this study provides clear evidence that can guide solutions. The findings show that replacing these chemicals with safer alternatives would significantly reduce exposures for most people. It's a clear guideline for individuals working to protect themselves and their families from toxic chemicals.
The problem, is that it's not a guideline that everyone can to follow.
Read more...Lessons still to be learned 100 Years after the Triangle Fire
Posted on Apr 7, 2011 On Saturday, March 25th, 1911, 146 garment industry workers – mostly young Jewish and Italian women – died during the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The safety flaws that led to this tragedy - locked stairwells and exits, unsafe fire escapes, lack of communication systems between floors - seem nearly unthinkable today. Yet the employer resistance to health and safety improvements that cost these women their lives 100 years ago sounds disturbingly similar to arguments that we hear today from industry trade groups opposing safer chemicals policies.
After the fire, New York Governor John Alden Dix created a commission to investigate health and safety in New York factories. The commission visited over 3000 factories in 20 industries. As a result the state created its first workplace safety requirements, a set of 25 different laws passed over the objections from business owners and industry representatives. 100 years later, although some companies are adopting responsible practices, industry groups still use very similar objections to obstruct modern health and safety legislation.
Here's what they were saying then and today:
Read more...Join us for Earth Day 2011 at the State House
Posted on Mar 31, 2011This Earth Day, let your legislators know you want the Safer Alternatives Bill to pass. Take that extra step to keep toxic chemicals out of your home, workplace, and community: join us at the State House for an Earth Day celebration and lobby day.
- When: April 21, 2011 - 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
- Where: The Great Hall (2nd floor), The State House, Boston
- RSVP here! Please put "AHT" in the Affiliated Organization box.
The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow is teaming up with environmental groups in Massachusetts this Earth Day. Every person that comes will be asked to visit their legislators and urge them to support funding in the state budget for environmental programs and the pro-environment bill(s) of their choice. Please come and ask your legislators to support The Safer Alternatives Bill (H-1136 & S-397) to protect our health from toxic chemicals in our workplaces, consumer products, homes and communities.
Sign up now!
Walmart bans toxic flame retardants in its products
Posted on Mar 1, 2011 Recently, Wal-Mart announced to its suppliers a ban on toxic flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and that it will begin testing products to ensure that they don't contain PBDEs starting in June 2011. The December 2010 announcement names seven states which have passed laws restricting the sale of consumer products containing these chemicals. Many other states are considering following suit.
Customers bring flame retardants home by buying furniture and electronics. These chemicals don’t stay inside our TVs, though. They escape into house dust and end up on our dinner plates. Studies have shown PBDEs in fish, meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and infant formula. Research on animals shows PBDEs can cause thyroid problems, learning deficits, memory loss and possibly birth defects. (Read more about PBDEs)
A Presidential Legacy: Preventing Cancer
Posted on Feb 17, 2011 Last May, the Presidential Cancer Panel presented President Obama with its annual report which confirmed that toxic chemicals are a grossly underestimated risk factor for cancer. The Panel urged President Obama to “most strongly use the power of your office” to eliminate human exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.
So far, nothing has changed. Of over 80,000 chemicals on the market today, only a few hundred of them have been tested for safety. Exposure to actual and potential cancer-causing chemicals is widespread. Toxic chemicals that cause cancer are in products like clothing, furniture, cleaning products, and plastics used by children, women, and men on a daily basis. The chemical industry continues to exploit regulatory weakness by introducing chemicals into the environment that have not been proven to be safe. Pregnant women have been found to carry toxic chemicals in their bodies, which leads to babies being born with a burden of chemicals over which they had no control. The majority of Americans are unaware of the dangers of chemical exposure in their daily lives.
Are you trapped in a toxic relationship?
Posted on Feb 11, 2011 You are not alone. Take comfort (and discomfort) in the fact that you share this problem with the vast majority of Americans. We're not talking about your passive aggressive sister-in-law, or the charming so-and-so who swept you off your feet and then left town with your life savings. We are are referring to the fresh-smelling, easy-going, and utterly irresistible toxic products we spend our time with at home, at work, and everywhere we go.
Bobbi Chase Wilding, from New York, struck a nerve with an article that she posted on the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families blog, Caught in a Toxic Trap where she admitted to her inability to let go of her toxic flame retardant-stuffed yet wonderful rocking-reclining love seat. Bobbi makes a great point: Even if it’s your job to know about which toxic chemicals lurk in what products, it can be hard to kick them to the curb. Our marketplace is set up so that products with harmful chemicals in them are almost always the more convenient, affordable, and seductive choice.
Read more...78 Legislators Co-sponsor Safer Alternatives Bill
Posted on Feb 10, 2011 Thanks to phone calls, emails and office visits from dozens of you, 78 Massachusetts State Legislators signed on as co-sponsors of the Safer Alternatives Bill by last Friday's deadline.
For those of you who like numbers, of those 78:
- 58 are Representatives
- 20 are Senators
- 63 were co-sponsors last session
- 6 are new legislators this session
- 9 are returning legislators who have not co-sponsored before
Get the full list of co-sponsors here.
One highlight is that Senator Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton) is among the co-sponsors this year. He is the new Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture where the bill will next be assigned, and thus is in an influential position to help it move forward.
Mass. and 29 other states announce chemical reform legislation
Posted on Jan 25, 2011 Last week, in response to continued public concern over the presence of dangerous chemicals in common household products and Congressional inaction on the matter, legislators in Massachusetts and twenty-nine other states announced legislation aimed at protecting children, families and workers from harmful chemicals. Despite well-funded opposition from the chemical industry, 18 state legislatures have already passed 71 chemical safety laws in the last eight years by an overwhelming, bipartisan margin – with more to come this year.
Massachusetts legislators are filing the Safer Alternatives Bill that would replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives in every day products, and introducing a resolution calling on Congress to overhaul the main federal chemical safety law, the Toxics Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA).
Read more...Recruiting co-sponsors for the Safer Alternatives Bill in 2011
Posted on Jan 25, 2011 The Safer Alternatives Bill, sponsored by Representative Jay Kaufman and Senator Steven Tolman, will create a pragmatic and flexible program to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives, wherever feasible. This bill has been before the legislature for eight years now but has never been brought to a vote in both houses. It's time to make it happen this year! Please call your state legislators today and ask them to co-sponsor the bill.
Step 1: Find out who your State Representative and Senator are if you don't know already.
Step 2: Find out if they have already co-sponsored the bill this session
Step 3: Place your calls
Read more...Let's make 2011 a healthy new year
Posted on Jan 8, 2011 This new year, the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow has a resolution: to pass the Safer Alternatives Bill in Massachusetts this session. The goal of this bill is to protect public health in our state by requiring that companies choose chemicals that are safe for their employees and customers whenever that's feasible.
Setting a standard for safer choices would benefit companies by reducing health care costs and improving worker safety. Researchers at Harvard and MIT have found that making environmentally friendly improvements to manufacturing can save companies money while encouraging innovation.*
The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow held a brainstorming session at our annual meeting at Northeastern University on December 9th.
DPH votes to ban BPA in baby bottles and cups...only
Posted on Dec 15, 2010Today the Public Health Council of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health voted unanimously to ban toxic BPA in baby bottles and cups, making Massachusetts the 8th state to do so. However, this measure is inadequate as it still leaves infants and toddlers vulnerable to exposure to the toxic BPA in infant formula and baby food packaging. It also does nothing to reduce exposure to pregnant women, problematic because a significant time for concern about BPA exposure is during fetal development.
Produced in quantities of about six billion pounds each year worldwide, BPA is one of the most widely used chemicals of all time. During the past decade, an explosion of research has explored the connections between BPA exposure particularly before birth and in early childhood and the health problems that are increasingly afflicting U.S. residents. In particular exposure to BPA before birth has been found in laboratory studies to predispose animals to cancer; alter brain development; and lead to early puberty in female animals. Male animals exposed in the womb produce less testosterone, have larger prostate glands, and make fewer sperm than unexposed animals. Studies have also shown a correlation between BPA and obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
Films to inspire action
Posted on Dec 9, 2010Video can be a powerful tool for building the strong movement we need to pass truly protective laws and regulations.
Videos have the emotional impact that words on paper or speeches don’t have. They show the true cost of pollution on people. The visual images are indelible. They make a problem concrete and personal. They make us visualize and feel the connection to the issues and to each other.
These videos help us educate and connect with growing numbers of friends and fans in our communities to help us strengthen the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow. Use them to inspire more people to work with us to pass laws and policies that prevent harm to our health from toxic chemicals.
On The Money: BPA on Dollar Bills and Receipts
Posted on Dec 8, 2010 A new study was released giving new meaning to the phrase "toxic assets." On The Money: BPA on Dollar Bills and Receipts set out to investigate the extent to which thermal receipt paper containing bisphenol A (BPA) has permeated the market, and whether this hormone-disrupting chemical is escaping onto the money that lies close to these receipts in people's wallets.
Researchers found that half of the thermal paper receipts tested had large quantities of unbound BPA; 95% of the dollar bills tested positive for lower amounts. Unlike BPA in baby bottles and other products, BPA on thermal paper isn't chemically bound in any way: it's a powdery film on the surface of receipts. Data from this report indicate that this highly toxic chemical does not, in fact, stay on the paper, but rather easily transfers to our skin and likely to other items that it rubs against.
Read more...National BPA ban fails due to industry pressure
Posted on Dec 2, 2010 In mid November, 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 many in the Senate -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- and had obtained agreement from important trade associations like the Grocery Manufacturers association to add a BPA amendment to the Food Safety Modernization Act (a bill which is addressing food recalls and tainted products).
While the Food Safety Bill is continuing to be pushed through, it will be without the BPA amendment.
Though Senator Feinstein had reached a compromise with Senate Republicans and the amendment looked well on its way to inclusion, strong last minute pressure from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) caused the amendment's votes to fall.
Read more...New study of states shows bi-partisan support for toxics reform
Posted on Nov 17, 2010 Toxic chemical legislation is not just for the fringe anymore.
It's a mainstream problem, and is being solved across the country on the state level by cooperation from both sides of the political aisle.
Today, we released a report (pdf) in conjunction with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families and SAFER States which shows that 18 states have passed 71 chemical safety laws in the last eight years by an overwhelming, bipartisan margin.
Massachusetts was not among these 18 states, unfortunately, as it has not passed the Safer Alternatives Bill or other chemical policy legislation, in recent years.
Read more...Create a Healthy Tomorrow: Connect, Take Charge, Make Change
Posted on Nov 9, 2010 Join us for the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow’s 2010 annual event: an evening of planning, strategizing, and inspiration to win in 2011 and beyond.
When: Thursday December, 9th, 2010 – 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Where: Northeastern University, Shillman Hall, Room 105, 115 Forsyth St., Boston, MA 02115 (Map: Shillman Hall is Building Number 30, directions and parking information are below)
RSVP to info@healthytomorrow.org (RSVPs appreciated but not required)
As recently as a decade ago it looked like undeniable that we’d be leaving the next generation a hefty toxic legacy. But now, if you look around the state, country and the world, bit by bit, law by law, company by company, we’re chipping away at that legacy and it’s actually starting to look like we could instead present future generations with a healthy tomorrow. We’ve got our work cut out for us to accomplish that goal here in Massachusetts, and on December 9th at the AHT annual event we going to get ourselves ready to wield our full power and make it happen in 2011.
New report ranks food companies on BPA in packaging
Posted on Oct 25, 2010 This week the investment groups Green Century Capital Management and As You Sow released the second edition of Seeking Safer Packaging: Ranking packaged food companies on BPA.
This report surveyed companies about their packaging practices and analyzed them based on their disclosure of information, exploration of alternatives, and commitment to removing BPA from their packaging.
The results: our efforts to phase out BPA and replace it with safer alternatives are starting to move the market!
Read more...Wallpaper, vinyl flooring are another source of toxics in our homes
Posted on Oct 19, 2010 Largest-Ever Study of Chemicals in Home Improvement Products Finds Lead, Phthalates, Cadmium, Organotins and Other Harmful Ingredients
Calling it yet another wake up call to Massachusetts residents that toxic chemicals are a silent but serious threat to us all, the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow pointed to the results of a study released today by HealthyStuff.org that found harmful chemicals including lead, phthalates, cadmium, and organotins in a number of home improvement products including flooring and wallpaper. HealthyStuff.org is a research organization widely known for exposing toxic chemicals in children’s toys and other every day products used in homes and workplaces.
Events of interest in September
Posted on Sep 15, 2010If you're in the Boston area in September, consider coming to one of these two upcoming events!
President's Cancer Panel Comes to Harvard Law School
Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk in the Face of Uncertainty: A Conversation about the President’s Cancer Panel Report
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Ropes Gray Room, 2nd floor, Pound Hall, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA
Please come for a conversation with Dr. Margaret Kripke, of the President’s Cancer Panel, about the Panel’s groundbreaking report, Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk, What We Can Do Now.
Do your homework: Get toxics out of your child’s school supplies
Posted on Aug 3, 2010 You strive to make your home a healthy and safe environment for your children to grow up in. But what about the 8 hours they spend in school each day? Unfortunately, many school supplies are composed of the poison plastic: polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This plastic can contain a toxic stew of phthalates, lead, cadmium, and organotins—it’s a recipe for disaster. To the developing body of a child, even a small exposure to these toxic chemicals can be dangerous. Studies have shown that chemicals released by the PVC life cycle are linked to learning disabilities, obesity, asthma, and even cancer. Fortunately, there are safer PVC-free alternatives to the poison plastic available.
Our partners at the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) has released the 3rd annual Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies, a compilation of safer PVC-free options for your kids.
Business opposition halts progress on Safer Alternatives Bill
Posted on Aug 2, 2010
At midnight on Saturday night, July 31st, the buzzer went off on the “formal session” part of the 2009-2010 legislative session in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the Safer Alternatives Bill as not among the lineup of bills that were passed this time around.
Anyone who has been watching or reading the news in Massachusetts in recent weeks has heard about the stalemate in the legislature as the House, the Senate and the Governor debate casino gambling. It’s tempting to take the easy way out and grumble about how the casino bill held up everything else, and that’s definitely true for many bills, but for the Safer Alternatives Bill, that’s not really the whole story.
You Acted, Congress Answered
Posted on Jul 28, 2010Originally posted on the Safer States Blog:
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 (TSCA), the decades-old federal law that oversees chemical regulation. It is hopelessly out of date, and we are working hard to reform it. These bill proposals are our chance to pass meaningful toxics reform in the US that will protect our families from toxic chemicals that are currently found throughout our homes.
In the past six months, we've been asking for persistent, bioaccumalative toxics (PBTs) to be given special attention in the proposed bills.
PBTs are just a fancy way of identifying chemicals that build up in our systems, and cause problems with our health and with the environment. These are the worst of the worst chemicals like lead, mercury, the compound used to make Teflon and some flame retardants.
PBTs are uniquely dangerous because they pose a triple threat. They persist in the environment for long periods of time and can be transported long distances; they accumulate in living organisms and increase in concentration as they move up the food chain; and, they are highly toxic, often at very low levels of exposure.
When the bill proposal was first floated a few months ago, it looked like PBTs were not going to be given special consideration, despite our best efforts. We asked for your support, and many of you called Congress to ask that PBTs be included in the Safe Chemicals Act.
The House bill, (HR 5820) was introduced last Thursday by Representatives Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) and included important provisions for PBTs.
The public was heard. We thank you for all your support in helping to push through this important provision, and give a standing ovation to Representatives Rush and Waxman for their hard work. Of course, we won't rest until a strong federal bill is passed, and we are protected. It will be a tough fight against the powerful chemical industry who wants to keep the status quo and have ultimate control over secret formulas and hidden ingredients that are harmful to our health.
Here's what the states had to say about the introduction of the Toxic Chemical Safety Act:
"The Toxic Chemical Safety Act is much improved now that it includes a phaseout of chemicals we know pose serious health and environmental threats. Washington State has been targeting these chemicals for over a decade and it's time the federal government caught up. This legislation is just plain commonsense and long overdue."
- Ivy Sager-Rosenthal, Campaign Director, Washington Toxics Coalition
"The Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 follows on the heels of essential work in Minnesota to protect public health from toxic chemicals. The bill directs the EPA to take action on certain high risk chemicals that build up in the human body, like brominated flame retardants, which have been the subject of state regulation across the country."
- Kathleen Schuler, Co-Director, Healthy Legacy
"We're really pleased that this bill reflects modern science and gives the EPA additional tools to reduce exposure to PBT chemicals for all communities. It's especially important that the bill acknowledges the needs of vulnerable populations including low income communities of color that are unfairly overburdened, pregnant women, infants, workers and the elderly."
- Mark Mitchell, M.D., MPH, Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, President and founding member of the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut, who will be testifying on the bill before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection this Thursday.
"People have been led to believe that chemicals are proven safe before added to products we use every day, but the law doesn’t offer that protection ... Today’s legislation gives EPA both the authority and a mandate to begin making up for 34 years of neglect. Congress should seize this opportunity immediately."
- Andy Igrejas, Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, a coalition of 250 environmental and public health groups.
"It's not enough to have packages that are green on the outside if what's inside is wreaking havoc on our health. We applaud Bobby Rush for his leadership on this crucial legislation and -- as the bill makes its way through the legislative process -- we urge him to fight to keep it strong."
- Sara Tamez, Campaign Coordinator, Illinois PIRG, in the Chicago Tribune.
To keep apprised of the latest news on the Safe Chemicals Acts as they move through Congress, read the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families blog, and check back here to see how reform in the states continues to sway the national agenda toward a safer toxic chemical policy.
Movie premiere to promote safe and healthy personal care products
Posted on Jul 12, 2010
Have you ever wondered what is really in your cosmetics and personal
care products? Or whether all those ingredients that you can barely
pronounce are actually safe? And just what is Sodium Laureth Sulfate,
anyway?
If you have questions like these, then come to the Boston premiere screening of The Story of Cosmetics, a seven minute video that reveals the environmental health and social consequences of harmful chemicals in everyday products like shampoo, bubble bath, makeup and cologne. View the teaser here.
Join us for The Story of Cosmetics video launch party! RSVP Here
Thursday, July 22nd 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
WorkBar Boston, 711 Atlantic Ave, Lower level, Boston, MA 02111
Toxics Campaign Advocates Tell Their Stories
Posted on Jul 9, 2010Earlier this year, we started a new blog series to share some stories of advocates in our toxics and environmental health campaigns. We' feature their bios, including what they do, how they got involved, and why this work so important to them. We hope this will help show a personal side to the many faces representing the coalition. If you're interested in sharing your story, please contact us at info@healthytomorrow.org.
Today's story comes from Mimi Pomerleau, who became involved with the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow almost two years ago.
Here's what Mimi had to say:
Safer Alternatives Bill receives a "favorable report"
Posted on Jul 8, 2010The Bisphenol A (BPA) public comment period is over, and there is a good chance for a positive outcome for this regulation. However, BPA is only one chemical out of hundreds that we come into contact with
everyday. Our government should require companies to use safer alternatives to protect us from many of the harmful chemicals that we are exposed to in our lives. Innovation should be encouraged to keep us as safe from toxic hazards as current science allows.
Cue the Safer Alternatives Bill!
The Safer Alternatives Bill, An Act for a Competitive Economy Through Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals (H-4865), is sponsored by Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) and Senator Steven Tolman (D-Brighton). It will create a pragmatic and flexible program in Massachusetts to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives, wherever feasible.
Read more...BPA hearings were filled with supporters
Posted on Jun 25, 2010
This week advocates for children's health testified at two hearings before the Department of Public Health (DPH) about their proposed Bisphenol A (BPA) regulation. Out of the 26 people who testified, 23 testified in support of expanding the regulation and only three were against the regulation.
Supporters came from all over the state to testify before the DPH. Some brought their children. Laura Donnelly gave her testimony in Boston with her youngest child in her lap. He was born with hypospadias, a birth defect in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the penis. Hypospadias is linked to early BPA exposure in the womb.
"I'm furious I was not told the canned food I was eating was poisoning my unborn child," Laura said. She then asked the DPH to take BPA out of the entire food supply.
Read more...Take Action: Comment period on BPA open
Posted on Jun 2, 2010June is going to be a critical month for our Bisphenol A (BPA) campaign. If you've been following this story, you know that the Department of Public Health's (DPH) Public Health Council (PHC) met two weeks ago to hear a presentation from the DPH about a proposal for a limited ban on reusable food and beverage containers containing BPA and intended for use by children three and under, which would mean baby bottles and sippy cups. (Read the proposed regulation here.) The PHC has not yet recommended further action, but they still can!
The Department of Public Health has officially opened a public comment period for the proposed regulation that will last until June 30. It is very important that you do everything that you can to let DPH know that you want Massachusetts to phase BPA out of infant formula cans and all reusable food and beverage containers, as well as baby bottles and cups.
Please submit a comment to the DPH by adding your personal statement to our online petition.
Read on to find out about more ways you can help.
Read more...
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...Canned food exposing consumers to harmful levels of BPA
Posted on May 18, 2010
The food in your pantry might not be as safe as you think. Meals involving one or more cans of food can cause an individual to ingest levels of BPA that have been shown to cause health effects in laboratory animal studies, according to a new study released today by The National Workgroup for Safe Markets, a coalition of public health and environmental health groups.
The study, No Silver Lining, tested food from 50 cans from 19 US states and one Canadian province for BPA contamination. Over 90% of the cans tested had detectable levels of BPA, some at higher levels than have been detected in previous studies.
Read more...Proposed BPA regulation doesn't offer enough protection
Posted on May 12, 2010
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Public Health Council (PHC) met this morning to hear a presentation on the limited phase-out of BPA that Governor Patrick has directed. As we expected, DPH staff proposed a limited ban on reusable food and beverage containers containing BPA and intended for use by children three and under, which would mean baby bottles and sippy cups. PHC members asked some questions of DPH staff, but have not yet recommend further action.
The DPH staff members made it very clear that this limited proposal is based on direction from Governor Patrick.
Read more...I want to be toxic free!
Posted on May 6, 2010Cindy Luppi, Clean Water Action
Mother’s Day is this Sunday and this year, we’re asking for a special gift for moms across the nation: a healthier future, free of toxic chemicals. Moms, dads, sons, daughters, and grandparents from coast to coast are raising their voices – and their cameras – in support of new legislation that would prevent harm to our health from toxic chemicals. Together we’re sending the message that chemicals linked to cancer, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders and other chronic health epidemics don’t belong in the products we use at home and at work. And that the time for change is now.
Let's make sure that our voices, here in Massachusetts, are heard loud and clear. Send a message to your legislators urging them to take action. Do it for your mom… Then, upload your photos with your loved ones and they will be posted on the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families site as a mother's day "quilt."
Read more...
Toxics Campaign Advocates Tell Their Stories
Posted on Apr 28, 2010 Today we're starting a new blog series to share some stories of advocates in our toxics and environmental health campaigns. We're going to feature their bios, including what they do, how they got involved, and why this work so important to them. We hope this will help show a personal side to the many faces representing the coalition. If you're interested in sharing your story, please contact us at info@healthytomorrow.org.
Our first story comes from Steve Gauthier, who has been involved with the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow since its inception.
Here's what Steve had to say:
