Donate to CHANGE
Share Our Content
Follow Us on Twitter
Find Us on Facebook
Watch Us on YouTube
You Asked, Congress Listened
We’ve just moved one step closer to retiring Bad Actor Chemicals in this country. Yesterday, Congressmen Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) formally introduced the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 (H.R. 5820). Back in June we asked you to contact your representative to urge them to make the Toxics Substances Control Act reform bills stronger in five ways. Guess what? You asked and they listened (mostly). Look at how the new bill took some of your thoughts and incorporated them (or not):
Alternatives Analysis Symposium 2
On July 28th, 2010, the Department of Toxic Substance (DTSC) will be hosting a symposium to further explore alternatives analysis for harmful chemicals. The process of identifying and analyzing safer alternatives for chemicals to use in products is a highly complex and scientific approach that crosses multiple disciplines. In order for an alternatives assessment to be productive and efficient, dialogue amongst different stakeholders is crucial to establishing a successful system in California.
The symposium is free and open to the public.
Read more...Story of the Safe Cosmetics Act
In the third story of our ongoing series, "Independence from Toxic Chemicals," Ryan Berghoff describes California's Safe Cosmetics Act, the first law in the country to address toxic chemicals in cosmetics.
Every day millions of people cover their bodies in a variety of cosmetics and personal care products hoping to look more attractive, but there is a price to pay for beauty (and I’m not talking about how expensive cosmetic products are). Independent testing in the United States and the European Union has determined that some cosmetic products contain substances known or suspected to cause cancer and reproductive toxicity that can harm the mother, fetus, and nursing children. Dangerous chemicals have a knack for showing up in our every day products, from toys that our children play with to the cosmetics in our bathroom cabinets, and that is why California has taken the lead in passing legislation to protect its residents.
Read more...The Power of Proposition 65: What you don't see
As part of our ongoing series, "Independence from Toxic Chemicals," Pamela King Palitz describes California's groundbreaking Proposition 65.
People love to poke fun at Proposition 65, the 1986 right-to-know law that requires manufacturers, retailers and other businesses to provide notice to Californians when they are being exposed to toxic chemicals. Everyone has seen the warning signs at the airport, or on a gas pump, or in a parking structure and thought, “Thanks for the warning, buddy. Really, though … do I have any choice about being here?”
Read more...Safer Product Regulations Fall Short
California’s Green Chemistry Initiative has been touted as a bold and innovative move toward more effective and efficient regulation of industrial chemicals in consumer products. But the Initiative’s draft regulations would perpetuate the most serious flaws of the current system: too weak, too slow and stacked against the public in favor of industry.
In two letters, over 50 environmental, public health, consumer, social justice, and labor advocates from every region of California have written to Gov. Schwarzenegger and to Cal-EPA Secretary Linda Adams, saying the draft regulations issued last month “fall far short of meeting the worthy goals of the Initiative.”
Read more...Toxic Chemical Lobby: Exclusive Leaked Footage
Our partners at Safer Chemicals Healthy Families created a wacky video to galvanize public support for reforming our nation's seriously outdated toxics law (the Toxic Substances Control Act or TSCA). The characters in this video are cartoons, but the plot is ripped straight from the headlines! Watch the video below and take action.
After you've seen the video and contacted Congress, check out the full press release!
Department of Toxics Wants Your Feedback
At long last, California's Department of Toxics Substances Control (DTSC) has released its draft regulations for implementing the first pieces of California's Green Chemistry Initiative and its quest for Safer Alternatives. Now, DTSC wants to hear from you. If you are in Sacramento on July 7 and 8, come raise your voice. If not, you can follow along with the webcast and submit comments via email. Final coments on the proposal are due July 15, 2010.
When:
Wednesday, July 7, 2010, 8:30 am - 12:00 pmThursday, July 8, 2010, 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm Read more...
Independence from Toxic Chemicals
On this Independence Day holiday we are kicking off our Independence from Toxic Chemicals Summer Series. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard about all of the exciting things happening in California right now as we strive to create a system that protects the health of our people and environment from toxic chemicals. A lot is in play and this series should provide background and context for these efforts.
Featured right, Bad Actor Chemical Perchlorate from The Toxies, helping us start this Independence Series with a bang.
In the weeks to come you will get a peek
Read more...Still Hope for BPA-free kids in California
An attempt to ban Bisphenol-A (BPA) in California fell short of several critical votes yesterday—but it’s not over yet.
California has always fancied itself as a leader in progressive environmental and health policy, so it’s quite baffling why a ban on BPA has not been able to pass yet. Vermont, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Washington, Maryland, Minnesota, the city of Chicago and four counties in New York state — Albany, Schenectady, Suffolk and Rockland — have all been successful in implementing BPA bans. Canada, Australia and New Zealand also have bans on BPA in children’s drinking containers, and New York is working to ban BPA across the entire state. So why is California having troubles passing a BPA ban?
Read more...Safer Products Preliminary Draft Regulations
Today, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released the Green Chemistry Draft Regulation for Safer Products. From now until July 15th is a critical window to share your feedback!
Let DSTC know how you envision a safer chemicals management system for California, and how it compares to this draft regulation. Read the full document here (pdf).
Two half-day public workshops for public comment are coming up:
Read more...