Content Archive
Year
Release: Groups Sue EPA Over Decades-Long Failure to Protect Communities from Most Dangerous Chemical Spills
March 21, 2019
New York, N.Y. – The Environmental Justice Health Alliance, Clean Water Action, and Natural Resources Defense Council today filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency for its failure to pass regulations requiring the most dangerous chemical facilities to develop plans to prevent and respond to worst-case scenario spills of hazardous substances, including spills triggered by natural disasters that put people’s health at risk. Congress mandated such regulations in 1990 – but more than 25 years later, EPA has failed to act. Read More
Blog: Our New Website - Frontline Voices and Action for Environmental Justice and Health
March 19, 2019
Release: Victory for Environmental Justice Communities as Court Orders Disclosure of Emissions from Chemical Facility Incidents
March 12, 2019
Environmental justice community members celebrated a ruling which will require chemical facilities to disclose unpermitted toxic chemical emissions to the public. Read More
News: Croda gas leak reportedly among worst of its kind in country this year
December 22, 2018
It took nearly a month after a toxic gas leak shut down the Delaware Memorial Bridge on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year for company and state officials to shed some light on what went wrong.
It remains unclear who will pay for the hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost tolls, who will fix any environmental harm, and who will address any lingering health effects that travelers, first responders and neighbors may have been exposed to that Sunday night... Read More
News: Croda gas leak highlights risks to poorer Delaware communities
November 27, 2018
As emergency crews worked to contain a gas leak that shut down the Delaware Memorial Bridge for six and a half hours Sunday night, some nearby residents had not been notified of the incident. That highlights the danger of industrial sites in close proximity to residential areas, according to a Delaware environmental group... Read More
Blog: Fighting for Chemical Security - Raising Our Voices for Health & Justice for People at the Fenceline
November 15, 2018
Imagine being woken up early in the morning by a siren blaring loudly. You turn on the news to learn that there is a massive fire at the oil refinery in town. Residents are instructed to “shelter in place,” so you make sure all the windows are closed, but you know there is not much more you can do. You realize that your 8-year-old child is having a very hard time breathing, so you head to the hospital as soon as you can. It turns out that sulfuric acid and nitrogen dioxide gases were released from the refinery because of the fire. Read More
Press Release: Dollar Store Chains Lag on Toxic Chemicals, while 21 Retailers Make Progress to Protect Consumers
November 14, 2018
Los Angeles, CA — A report released today reveals that major retail companies are making slow but meaningful progress at improving the chemical safety of the products, food, and packaging they sell, but nearly half of those scored — including the 99 Cents Only discount retail chain — have failed to take any public measures to help eliminate toxic chemicals from the products they carry. The third annual Who’s Minding the Store? A Report Card on Retailer Actions to Eliminate Toxic Chemicals evaluated and graded the chemical policies and practices of 40 of the largest North American retailers, including grocery and fast food chains, as part of Safer Chemicals Healthy Families’ Mind the Store campaign and the Campaign for Healthier Solutions. Read More
Informe: Cadenas de Tiendas de Dólar Se Quedan Atrás en Cuanto a Sustancias Químicas Peligrosas, Mientras que 21 Comercios Minoristas Muestran Avances para Proteger a Consumidores
November 14, 2018
LOS ANGELES, CA — Un informe publicado el día de hoy revela que las grandes empresas de minoristas están logrando avances lentos pero significativos en cuanto a la mejora de seguridad química en los productos, alimentos y empaques que venden, pero casi la mitad de los que se calificaron — incluyendo la cadena de tiendas de descuento 99 Cents Only — han fracasado en llevar a cabo medidas públicas para ayudar a eliminar sustancias químicas de los productos que surten. La tercera boleta anual ¿Quién está Cuidando la Tienda? Una Boleta de Calificaciones sobre las Medidas de Comercios para Eliminar Sustancias Químicas Tóxicas (Who’s Minding the Store? A Report Card on Retailer Actions to Eliminate Toxic Chemicals) evaluó y calificó a las políticas de sustancias químicas y las prácticas de los 40 comercios de minoristas más grandes de norte américa, incluyendo supermercados y cadenas de comida rápida, como parte de la campaña de Cuida la Tienda de Sustancias Químicas más Seguras de Familias Sanas (Safer Chemicals Healthy Families’ Mind the Store) y la Campaña para Soluciones Saludables (Campaign for Healthier Solutions). Read More
Report: Dollar Stores Score Failing Grades for Second Year
November 14, 2018
Just before the holiday shopping season, the Campaign for Healthier Solutions and the Mind the Store Campaign released an annual report card on retailer’s actions to protect customers from toxic chemicals in consumer products. While several retailers have shown substantial leadership on toxic chemical policies and improved their grades over last year, dollar stores continue to earn grades well below the curve. Read More
Delaware Online news story: 'It's our turn': Southbridge residents say they're tired of being a dumping ground
November 7, 2018
Marie Reed’s first thought when she heard a grinding company had plans to build an industrial facility in south Wilmington was, “Here we go again.”
Reed, president of the Southbridge Civic Association, knew she wasn’t alone. The whole neighborhood “has been through so much,” she said. “We’ve had enough.” Read the full story on Delaware Online. Read More
Press Release: New Interactive Online Map Shows Who Lives in Chemical Disaster Zones
September 26, 2018
Our new interactive map and report, titled, Life at the Fenceline, shows that people living within a three-mile 'fenceline' zone of hazardous chemical facilities are disproportionately people of color, impoverished, and suffer a greater risk of cancer and respiratory illness caused by air pollution. The mapping and analysis found that over 124 million Americans (39%) live in constant threat of catastrophic explosion or poison gas release within a fenceline zone of one or more hazardous chemical facilities. Read More
Report: Life at the Fenceline - Understanding Cumulative Health Hazards in Environmental Justice Communities
September 26, 2018
Across the United States, almost 12,500 high-risk chemical facilities put 39% of the US population (124 million people) who live within three miles of these facilities at constant risk of chemical disaster. The full vulnerability zones for these industrial and commercial sites can extend up to twenty-five miles in radius. Read More
Press Release: Customers Urge Dollar Tree to Act on Toxic Chemicals in Products, Junk Food "Snack Zones" at Annual Shareholder Meeting
June 14, 2018
Dollar Tree customers and shareholders called for comprehensive hazardous chemical policies at Dollar Tree’s annual shareholder meeting. Concerned about hazardous chemicals found in products and food purchased from the Dollar Tree stores (or Dollar Tree owned Family Dollar stores), stock-holding parents and health experts asked executives to adopt comprehensive hazardous chemical policies and share them with the public, as other retailers have already done. Read More
Consumidores Exhortan a Dollar Tree a Implementar Medidas Sobre Sustancias Químicas Toxicas en sus Productos, Comida Chatarra “Áreas de Snacks” en la Junta Anual de Accionistas
June 14, 2018
Norfolk, VA—Hoy, los consumidores y accionistas de Dollar Tree hicieron un llamado por políticas comprensivas sobre sustancias químicas peligrosas durante la junta anual de accionistas. Preocupados por sustancias químicas peligrosas halladas en productos y alimentos adquiridos en las tiendas de Dollar Tree (o las tiendas Family Dollar, que pertenecen a Dollar Tree )—incluyendo sustancias per/polifluorados (PFAS por sus siglas en inglées) en palomitas de microondas, bisfenol-A (BPA por sus siglas en inglés) en comida enlatada, arsenico en cereal infantil de arroz, y metales pesados y ftalatos en productos para el consumidor—padres de familia dueños de acciones en la empresa y expertos en la salud pidieron a los ejecutivos que adoptaran políticas amplias sobre sustancias químicas peligrosas y que las compartieran con el público, así como lo han hecho otras tiendas. Read More
Press Release: Customers Urge Dollar General Executives to Act on Toxic Chemicals in Products at Annual Shareholder Meeting
May 30, 2018
Nashville, TN—Today, activist shareholders and customers called for product safety and hazardous chemical policies at Dollar General’s annual shareholder meeting. Concerned about hazardous chemicals found in products and food purchased from the discount retail chain’s stores—including per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in microwave popcorn, bisphenol-A (BPA) in canned food, and heavy metals and phthalates in consumer products—stock-holding parents and health experts asked executive leadership to adopt hazardous chemical policies and share them with the public, as other retailers have already done. Read More
Clientes Exigen que los Ejecutivos de Dollar General Tomen Medidas Para Actuar Sobre Sustancias Químicas Toxicas en Productos durante la Junta Anual de Accionistas
May 30, 2018
Nashville, TN—Hoy, activistas accionistas y clientes hicieron un llamado para la seguridad de los productos así como para políticas de sustancias químicas peligrosas durante la junta anual de accionistas de Dollar General. Preocupados por sustancias químicas peligrosas encontradas en productos y alimentos adquiridos de la cadena de tiendas de descuento – incluyendo PFOS en palomitas para microondas, BPA en alimentos enlatados, metales pesados y ftalatos en productos para el consumidor – padres de familia accionistas y expertos en materia de la salud solicitaron que el liderazgo ejecutivo implemente políticas de sustancias químicas peligrosas y que compartan dichas políticas con el público, así como lo han hecho otras cadenas de tiendas. Read More
Press Release: Educational Video Highlights Toxic Chemicals Found in Microwave Popcorn
March 28, 2018
Albuquerque, NM—Today, health experts and community leaders held a press conference to release a new educational video drawing attention to children's health risks from toxic chemicals in microwave popcorn. The fun and engaging video also shows viewers how to make safer microwave popcorn using nontoxic household ingredients. The video was released after independent lab testing found per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in 100% of microwave popcorn samples purchased from dollar stores. Read More
Educativo Video Destaca las Sustancias Químicas Toxicas Encontradas en Palomitas para Microondas
March 28, 2018
Albuquerque, NM—Hoy, expertos en el área de la salud y líderes comunitarios convocaron una conferencia de prensa para difundir un nuevo video educativo atrayendo atención a los riesgos a la salud de los niños debido a las sustancias químicas toxicas presentes en palomitas para microondas. El divertido y entretenido video demuestra cómo preparar palomitas para microondas más seguras utilizando ingredientes caseros no tóxicos. Se difundió el video después de que estudios de laboratorios independientes encontraron sustancias per/polifluoroalquilo (PFAS) en 100% de las muestras de palomitas para microondas compradas en tiendas de dólar. Read More
Press Release: Communities to be Harmed by EPA Budget Cuts Ask Congress for Protection
December 14, 2017
Washington, D.C.— As Congress continues its consideration of the Trump Administration’s proposal to slash funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a coalition of community environmental justice and health groups issued a volley of letters urging appropriators to maintain funding for vital health and safety programs. The letters, sent from communities across the nation who are dealing with disproportionate levels of environmental pollution, detail how EPA programs—especially Environmental Justice programs and grants designed to support the most impacted communities—have improved public health and provided economic benefits in their neighborhoods, and how starving these efforts may put people directly in harm’s way. Read More