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...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...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...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...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.
Call in week to congress: Safer chemicals please!
Posted on Jun 14, 2010
Over the past couple months, we've been letting you know about the
important overhaul of the Toxic
Chemicals Safety Act (TSCA) -- a decades-old law that is so
outdated that it was written before chemicals like Bisphenol-A
(BPA), phthalates,
flame
retardants and cadmium had ever been studied or recognized for the
health concerns to our families.
The Toxic Chemicals Safety Act is now being considered in Congress, which is the law that will help modernize our chemical policies and help get harmful chemicals out of our lives. The current draft of the bill is a good first step, but it's missing some key provisions.
Currently, harmful chemicals are not tested before getting to market. This is how the toxic chemical cadmium is getting into costume jewelry.
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...
Current Action Alerts
Posted on Jun 1, 2010There are many ways to take action to help protect our health from toxic chemicals. Here are some in Massachusetts and at the Federal level:
Massachusetts
Ask your representative to help pass the Safer Alternatives Bill
The Safer Alternatives Bill will create a pragmatic and flexible program in Massachusetts to replace toxic chemicals with Safer Alternatives wherever feasible.
Federal
1. Ask Congress to pass a Strong Safe Chemicals Act
Good news! The Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 was introduced on Thursday, April 15th by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representatives Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Henry Waxman (D-CA). It is landmark legislation to overhaul the nation's outdated and ineffective toxics law, the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA). We still need your help to strengthen the bill and make sure that it protects our nation's health from the dangers of toxic chemicals.2. Join the Million Baby Crawl to demand toxic policy reform from Congress.
3. Ask Congress to Protect Pregnant Women from Chemicals in Cosmetics!
New research shows that pregnant women’s bodies are polluted with chemicals found in consumer products – including cosmetics. We need Congress to pass laws for safer cosmetics! You can also check out more action alerts for the Safe Cosmetics campaign at their website
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...
BPA Action Week April 5th-9th: Call Governor Patrick!
Posted on Apr 5, 2010 We have a big opportunity in Massachusetts to protect children from BPA, a toxic chemical linked to hyperactivity, impaired learning and other developmental issues.
Please call Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick today and ask him to phase-out BPA products for which there are safer alternatives including infant formula and baby food packaging and reusable beverage and food containers.
1. Dial: 617-725-4005
2. Deliver your message:
- Give your name and where you live
- Say "Thank you for protecting our health by calling for a phase-out of BPA products. Don’t just stop at baby bottles and cups, please include infant formula cans and food and beverage containers as well.”
- If no one picks up the phone, you can leave a message.
3. Report to us that you called. Click to report your call.
4. Tell you friends to call too!
Read more...Take Action Now on Notorious Offenders!
Posted on Feb 25, 2010 How serious is Congress about reforming our Nation’s chemical laws?
Last week we told you about the congressional process in Washington, DC to reform our federal law that governs toxic chemical production and use, The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). Some of the chemicals under consideration are PBTs or Persistent, Bioaccumulative Toxins, which include some of the most notorious chemicals ever studied. These notorious offenders include: DDT, dioxin, mercury, cadmium, lead, mercury, the compound used to make Teflon and some flame retardants.
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...
Tell Congress to Take Action on Toxic Chemicals!
Posted on Jul 10, 2009 Did you know that 82,000 chemicals are in use today in the U.S. and only around 200 of these chemicals have been assessed for their safety? In other words, thousands of toxic chemicals, which have not been tested for safety, have been added to products that you use everyday from children’s toys, food can linings, mattresses, make-up to shampoo! And now there are hundreds of scientific studies out there showing that these chemicals are ending up in our bodies.
In addition, the law governing toxic chemicals in the U.S., the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), is 33 years old and completely outdated.
Read more...
Call-In Day Success!
Posted on May 20, 2009Thanks to everyone that called the Governor's Office last Tuesday, May 12th and helped get friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to do the same. We had 140 plus people call the Governor and ask him to take action on toxics. We even had people say that when they called, the call volume was so high that they were too busy to take down names and addresses!
We are eagerly waiting for a response from the Governor's Office. Whatever happens, we have to keep up the pressure! Governor Patrick cannot get away with doing nothing on toxics: supporting neither the Safer Alternatives Bill nor a regulation on BPA in children's products! If we do not get a response very soon, we will be contacting you with our newest action. So stay alert!
Today is the Day to Call the Governor!
Posted on May 12, 2009We need you to call Governor Patrick RIGHT NOW and urge that he support both the Safer Alternatives Bill and a sales ban on bisphenol-A in children's products.
These two actions will not cost the state government significant funding, and will create a healthier community and future.
What to do right now: Call the governor at 617-725-4005
What to say:
Give your name, address, and phone number
I'm calling to urge Governor Patrick to Take Action on Toxics. We need him to ban BPA in children's products and actively support the Safer Alternatives bill (H-757 and S-442).
Once you're done, please tell us that you called! And one more critical step is to find other people who will call as well.
Help Protect Children from BPA
Posted on Jan 19, 2009
We should be able to trust that products in our stores are safe!
Sign the Petition to Governor Patrick Today!
Aren't all consumer products safe?
The short answer is NO! Toxic chemicals are in widespread use in common household products. For example, many baby bottles, water bottles, and other products contain BPA, or Bisphenol A. BPA is linked to obesity, early onset puberty, breast cancer, low sperm counts, hyperactivity, depression and other health effects. In scientific studies, BPA-exposed animals have altered development of the male and female reproductive tracts, mammary tissues, the immune system, fat tissue, and the thyroid.
Read more...Ask your legislators to co-sponsor the Safer Alternatives Bill
Posted on Jan 5, 2009
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. In 2008 the bill passed the Senate but not the House and so this session we need your help to make sure that the bill passes both houses! 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...