Clean Water Action

Login | Register
Explore Your Community | Discover the Issues
  • Issues
    • Clean Water's Mission
    • Protecting America's Waters
    • Global Warming and a New Energy Economy
    • Healthy, Safer Families and Communities
    • Making Democracy Work
  • Communities
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • DC
    • Delaware
    • Florida
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • South Dakota
    • Texas
    • Virginia
    • National
  • About Us
    • Finances & Effectiveness
    • Offices
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Board & Officers
    • Privacy Policy
    • Site Credits
    • Contact Us
  • Canvass
    • Apply for a canvass job
    • Why join a canvass?
  • Jobs
  • Media Center
    • Media Contacts
    • Media Kits
    • Position Statements
  • Publications
    • Reports, Summaries
    • Factsheets
    • Research Materials
    • Other Resources
  • Supporter Center
    • Volunteer
    • Subscription Maintenance
    • Jobs & Internships
    • We All Live Downstream
    • Privacy Policy
  • Take Action
    • Volunteer
  • Join or Give
    • Ways to Give
    • Why Your Support Matters
    • About Your Membership
    • Mission
    • Finances & Effectiveness
    • Privacy Policy

Communities

  • News
  • Overview
  • Features
  • Online Actions
  • Publications
  • Press Releases
  • Campaign Strategies
  • Media Kits
  • Staff Profiles
  • Events
  • Volunteer Network

Donate Now

Join or give a gift or find other ways to give to Clean Water Action

Connect

Connect to us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterCheck out our YouTube channel
Shop through We-Care to advance Clean Water Action's mission and strategy for protecting America's clean and safe water now, and for the future

Explore Your Community

Clean Water Action's national campaigns work on Federal laws and policy. State offices campaign on the same issues locally. Get more information about our work in each state and around the country.

Discover the Issues

Spotlight

Two Big Blows: Bishop, Dillon Fail On Great Lakes Oil Drilling Ban As Another Gulf Oil Rig Explodes

Ballot Deadline Missed For Oil Drilling Ban

Lansing, MI - Two of the state's leading conservation and environmental organizations blasted Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon and Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop for blowing today's deadline to put a permanent ban on Great Lakes drilling onto the November ballot. The lawmakers' failure to make the ballot comes as another offshore oil rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico.

Published On: 
09/02/2010 - 13:52
Related Articles
  • The Countdown Is On: Ban Drilling in the Great Lakes!
Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • water
  • Read more

Reject Energy Industry Accounting Tricks

The Clean Air Act requires polluters to disclose their levels of emissions. Now producers of "biomass" power want a blanket exemption from reporting their emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide pollution. Tell the EPA to hold all energy producers accountable for their pollution.

Biomass is a term that includes many different fuel types such as trees; construction, wood, and agricultural wastes; and more. Due to the differences among types of biomass, it makes no sense to assume that none of them contribute to global warming. Some forms of biomass can be part of the clean energy solution, but science shows that if done wrong, biomass can increase greenhouse gas emissions, undermining our climate goals.

Tags:
  • National
  • energy
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Recycle in Philadelphia and Get Rewarded

Philadelphia Recycling Rewards sticker

Sign up now and get 25 bonus points!

Do you live in Philadelphia? Do you recycle? Are you getting reward points?

You can start earning reward points every time you put your recycling out curbside. Redeem these points online and use them to save at over 200 local businesses.

Related Articles
  • Get Rewarded for Recycling in Philadelphia
Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • energy
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more
Printer-friendly version
Actions

Reject Energy Industry Accounting Tricks

The Clean Air Act requires polluters to disclose their levels of emissions. Now producers of "biomass" power want a blanket exemption from reporting their emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide pollution. Tell the EPA to hold all energy producers accountable for their pollution.

Biomass is a term that includes many different fuel types such as trees; construction, wood, and agricultural wastes; and more. Due to the differences among types of biomass, it makes no sense to assume that none of them contribute to global warming. Some forms of biomass can be part of the clean energy solution, but science shows that if done wrong, biomass can increase greenhouse gas emissions, undermining our climate goals.

Tags:
  • National
  • energy
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Tell Senate to Get Toxic BPA out of Food Packaging

Senator Amy Klobuchar

Tell Senator Klobuchar to support the Feinstein amendment on BPA.

In September, the US Senate will decide on critical legislation that will affect the safety of the food supply in our nation. Unfortunately, Senators still need to be convinced that getting the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) out of our food and beverage containers is an urgent food safety issue that MUST be addressed in the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010.

Take a minute and send this urgent letter asking your Senators to support an amendment proposed by Senator Dianne Feinstein that would get BPA out of baby bottles, sippy cups, infant formula and baby food as part of the Food Safety legislation.

Tags:
  • Minnesota
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

3¢ for Eco-Cops: Pass a Tax on Natural Gas Extraction!

Drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale is severely damaging our state's environment and local communities. The drillers are not paying to clean it up, and with fewer state dollars going to environmental protection each year, this is a dangerous mix. Take action now and demand that our state legislature impose a tax on the extraction of natural gas. The natural gas drilling industry in Pennsylvania is getting an unfair deal that puts our state's land, air, and water quality at risk for generations to come.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • energy
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Tell your U.S. Senators: Reject dirty bioenergy and subsidies for corn ethanol!

Tell them to support clean energy

Ears of corn courtesy sxc.hu

Tell your Senators to support real clean energy not subsidies for dirty biofuels.

The U.S. Senate needs to hear from you that dirty bioenergy sources, like corn ethanol, are not the answer to our energy and climate crises. Right now, the Senate is deciding what to about these pressing issues. Some negative impacts of corn ethanol production:

  • Uses large quantities of water and causes pollution and dead zones with its pesticides and fertilizers;
  • Major soil erosion and depletion of nutrients in our soil, jeopardizing our ability to produce food and raising food prices;
  • Requires large amounts of land which has led to the destruction of forests, causing biodiversity loss and massive impacts on water resources while actually worsening global warming;
  • Has needed $20 billion subsidies and government handouts over the last five years, taking away from investment in actual clean energy sources;
  • Uses a massive amount of energy, increasing coal and natural gas use.
Tags:
  • National
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Deny The Consumers Wetland Permit!

It seemed crystal clear. When Consumers Energy recently shelved plans for a dirty, unneeded coal plant that would have saddled ratepayers and shareholders with billions in costs, it appeared as though the utility giant was finally seeing clearly.

Unfortunately, that's not the case.

Consumers is seeing about as clearly as if the board were wearing mud-covered glasses. That's the only explanation possible for the decision to pursue permits to drain wetlands in a watershed that directly impacts Lake Huron near Bay City for the new, dirty, costly, and unneeded coal plant. A plant, remember, the utility said was put on hold indefinitely.

By weighing-in today, you can make sure the state officials making the decision on the wetlands permit don't have the same vision problems.

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • democracy
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Please Save Barnegat Bay and Support S1411 and A2290

The number one cause of pollution in New Jersey's waterways is phosphorus and nitrogen, two substances found in inorganic fertilizers. Fertilizer runoff is not only destroying important water resources, right now it is literally killing Barnegat Bay, one of the state's most important estuaries, ecosystems, and watersheds.

This comes at tremendous public health, environmental and economic costs from fish kills, cancer, and increased water treatment and rates to damaging New Jersey's multi-billion dollar tourism and fishing industries. Tell key legislators and the Governor that this is unacceptable.

Tags:
  • New Jersey
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

You have the right to know about toxic chemicals!

What's in the products you use every day? The lining in a can of food? The mattress you slept on last night? Your children's toys? Or even the computer you're reading this on? In fact, the public has very little information about the chemicals in the products we use or their potential impact on our health or our environment.

More often than not, even the companies that made these products don't have this information because their suppliers won't tell them!

One of the major reasons for this is that chemical manufacturers have abused legitimate legal protections by claiming that this basic information is a trade secret or confidential business information.

Tags:
  • California
  • democracy
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Ask Your Legislators to Pass the Safe Cosmetics Act

Tell your legislators to support the Safe Cosmetics Act.

What are all those chemicals in your shampoo? Your lipstick? your aftershave? And what do they have to do with asthma, breast cancer and learning disabilities?

Learn, share and help change this toxic mess: Watch The Story of Cosmetics, a 8-minute film exposing the ugly truth about personal care products - brought to you by Clean Water Action, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff Project and Free Range Studios, and take action to help pass the Safe Cosmetics Act.

Tags:
  • California
  • Chesapeake
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • National
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Dakota
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

We're Not Dummies

Crash test dummy family

Ask your U.S. Representative to join you in the fight to phase out dangerous chemicals and require chemical safety testing. Act now and spread the word. Show them you're no dummy.

Do you remember the crash test dummies featured in commercials and
ads for years? They were the nameless, faceless humanoids riding in
test vehicles that famously smashed into bridges, cars, semis, you name
it. They stood in for us in dangerous situations so we wouldn't be hurt.

Until now. Now, you and I are unwilling crash test dummies for the
special interests peddling their toxic stew of chemicals found in every
day products, but we have names and faces and families and lives. We
weren't invented to test chemicals in products, and we aren't dummies.

Tags:
  • National
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Tell the Austin City Council to Bag the Bags!

Plastic bag in puddle

Ask the Mayor and the Austin City Council to ban petroleum-based plastic bags in Austin!

Photo by Romana Klee

The time has come for the Austin City Council to phase in a ban of petroleum-based plastic bags in Austin Texas!

Plastic bags are an environmental and visual scourge, as well as a threat to wildlife. Worldwatch Institute estimates that Americans use 100 billion plastic bags each year - requiring the consumption of 4,300,000 gallons of crude oil.

The manufacture of plastic bags creates greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. At most, only 1% to 2% of these bags get recycled. The rest take up space in landfills, litter city streets, or find their way into creeks, rivers and oceans. According to the Society for Marine Conservation, more than a million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles die from eating or getting entangled in plastic each year.

The United Nations calculates that on average over 46,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating in every square mile of ocean. The City of San Francisco has estimated that it costs its taxpayers an average of 17 cents to dispose of each plastic bag.

Take action now: Ask the Austin City Council and Mayor Leffingwell to ban petroleum-based plastic bags.

Tags:
  • Texas
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Ban Drilling in the Great Lakes!

Pelicans soaked in oil sludge. Shrimp fisherman wondering aloud what they'll do to make a living now. Whole communities, dependent on tourism, now virtual ghost towns. The BP spill has ruined lives, destroyed jobs, and permanently damaged the Gulf waters to maximize its profits.

Now imagine it happened here.

If friends of dirty energy succeed in opening the Great Lakes to Big Oil, we could be next. It could be our $9 billion boating and $7 billion fishing industries washed away by a flood of tar balls. The Great Lakes are what so many of us love about living in Michigan - and they're also the lifeblood of our economy.

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • Petition
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Our Streams Shouldn't Make Us Sick!

Tell the Governor to keep health-threatening bacteria out of our water!

Take action by June 30th!

Tell Gov. Perry that the TCEQ should be protecting water quality and property values for Texans, not making us sick in order to save money for polluters.

GRAPHIC: Take Action button

The Texas state environmental agency, the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ), acting at the request of polluting interests and feedlots, is proposing to allow higher levels of harmful bacteria in our rivers and streams. This will put thousands of Texas who swim, canoe or fish in these waters at greater risk of getting sick! Help us stop this plan.

Tags:
  • Texas
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Call Rep. Pelosi: Ask Her to Strengthen The Toxics Chemical Safety Act of 2010

Call Nancy Pelosi today!

PHOTO: Telephone keypad

Ask her to vote to strengthen the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010. Call Speaker Pelosi at 415-556-4862.

Shrek glasses with cadmium?! Canned food contaminated with the sex hormone bisphenol A?! Cancer-causing formaldehyde in furniture?! This week we ask you to join us in a nation-wide call in campaign to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House to make sure that manufacturers stop using toxic chemicals in the products we use everyday.

The Toxics Chemical Safety Act was just introduced in Congress. It aims to protect families from harmful chemicals by overhauling outdated chemical laws. The current draft of the bill is a good first step, but it's missing some key provisions, like phasing out the worst chemicals first and ensuring that chemicals are tested for safety before they are allowed on the market.

The reasons to support a stronger Toxic Chemicals Safety Act keep mounting. Research shows that chemicals found in everyday products are linked to negative health effects including cancer, early puberty, learning disabilities, and sexual dysfunction. A few weeks ago, the President's Cancer Panel released a damning report underlining the acute need for stronger toxics laws. The report specifically recommends removing cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins from our food, water, and air that "needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation's productivity and devastate American lives."

A critical committee vote on the bill could happen any day and Speaker Pelosi needs to hear from you. Please call her today and tell her to put health first by getting rid of the worst chemicals first!

Tags:
  • California
  • democracy
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Don't Feed Sprawl: Help Protect the Perkiomen Creek From Sewer Development!

The Lower Perkiomen Valley Regional Sewer Authority (LPVRSA) plans to double its capacity by constructing a new sewer line along the Perkiomen Creek.

There is no data that proves the need to increase sewer capacity. The middle section alone will cost over nine million dollars. Where is the money coming from? All ratepayers are expected to pay part of this in rate increases, and future developers are expected to pay as well. Don't feed sprawl: Help protect the Perkiomen Creek from sewer development.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • democracy
  • environmental health
  • Petition
  • water
  • Read more

Get the Finance Committee on Board with Clean Construction - Tell them to Support H7850A!

Diesel construction equipment

Ask members of the Rhode Island House Finance Committee to support HB7850A to reduce diesel pollution!

Construction is responsible for a whopping 40% of all mobile diesel emissions in the Northeast. It's time that our policies reflect government concern for the health of the workers and the public in and around those construction sites, particularly when they are located in dense urban areas - the Diesel Emission Reduction Act does just that.

The worst effects of diesel pollution are felt in densely populated urban areas, such as Providence County, which is ranked in the worst 6% of all US counties for health risks from diesel pollution. Each year Rhode Islanders suffer 50 premature deaths, 80 heart attacks and more than 900 asthma attacks (that's 3 per day) from their exposure to diesel pollution. This cannot continue. There is a better way of doing business and it's right around the corner.

Tags:
  • Rhode Island
  • democracy
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • Read more

Stop the Mistake on The Lake!

water, in glass, with ice

WTP4 won't make new water, just the capacity to take more water from Lake Travis. Tell Mayor Leffingwell and the City Council to stop the Mistake on The Lake

WTP4 is a proposed drinking water treatment that will cost $500 million, not counting the interest necessary to finance it, and require an increase in our monthly water bills by as much as 15% in order to pay for it.

Tags:
  • Texas
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Clean water? Tell the legislature not to "bag it!"

 Plastic bag caught in tree; photo by eflon/Alex

Help protect California from this common source of plastic pollution.

When you get a "free" plastic grocery bag at the check-out stand, it's not really free. The retailer is passing 3 cents per plastic bag and 10 cents per paper bag on to you in the bill!

In addition, California's government spends billions of taxpayer dollars each year cleaning litter from streets, beaches, parks and storm drain systems. Since plastic bags are a huge part of the litter problem, you pay for them twice - at the store and in your taxes. Take action now: Ask your State Senator to support a state-wide ban on plastic bags at grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience food stores.

Tags:
  • California
  • environmental health
  • Letter to the Editor
  • water
  • Read more

More Michigan jobs or more dirty coal?

Michigan is already employing tens of thousands of workers in good-paying, clean energy jobs like manufacturing windmills, solar panels, energy efficient appliances, and advanced batteries. Even though more investments in clean energy will continue to put tens of thousands of Michiganders back to work all across the state, Holland Board of Public Works is still moving forward with their proposal for an expansion of a dirty coal plant that will bring only a handful of jobs to the state. Tell them this is not the right direction for Michigan!

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • democracy
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

A Clean Energy Future Without Offshore Drilling

Marshes swamped with oil from the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. 27 May 2010

Containment booms and cleaning operations in the marshes near Block 69 in NE Pass swamped with oil from the Deepwater Horizon wellhead - the BP leased oil platform - which exploded on April 20 and sank after burning.

Take a stand against dirty energy. Tell your Senators and Representative to reject the push for more offshore oil drilling and support a clean energy future.

BP's continuing oil spill disaster is devastating proof of the high cost that comes with our dependence on oil and other dirty energy sources. We will pay the price for Big Oil's reckless behavior for years to come: damaged health, ravaged coastal economies, destruction of entire ecosystems and the fish, birds and other animals that live there.

Energy technologies which degrade and deplete the nation's water resources need to be phased out. Urge your U.S. Senators, and your Representative to stand up to Big Oil and do the right thing, for a change.

Tags:
  • Delaware
  • National
  • Virginia
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Help Protect Our Water Resources

Tell your State Representative and Senator to support strong protections for our groundwater - just like the protection we give our lakes, rivers, and streams. Without new legislation, our groundwater - which feeds our rivers, lakes and streams - is left unprotected to withdrawals from corporations who want to pump our water and ship it to the far corners of the globe.

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • democracy
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Tell Senator Klobuchar To Support the President's Cancer Panel

President's Cancer Panel Report

Tell Senator Klobuchar to support the President's Cancer Panel by passing reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

On May 6, President Obama’s Cancer Panel released a groundbreaking report identifying chemicals in our home and natural environment as a significant contributor to cancer. The panel cites the problem has been "grossly underestimated" and recommends a number of immediate actions government, industry and individuals can take to address environmental cancer.

Individual recommendations by the panel included filtering home tap water to decrease exposure to carcinogens and endocrine disrupting chemicals, buying organic food and choosing products made with non-toxic substances.

The panel also supported reform of the nation’s outdated chemical law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Bills to reform TSCA were introduced in the House and Senate in April and would require chemicals to be assessed for safety as a condition of remaining on the market.

Tags:
  • Minnesota
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • Read more

Tell your Representative to pass America's Commitment to Clean Water Act!

Water sluce gate in rural area

Take Action Today: Urge your Representative to support America's Commitment to Clean Water Act (H.R. 5508) and protect all of America's waters.

For three decades, the Clean Water Act protected America's waters from industrial pollution, oil spills, sewage and outright destruction. Recent interpretations of the law have put drinking water sources for 110 million Americans in jeopardy of losing protections.

Tags:
  • Delaware
  • National
  • Virginia
  • democracy
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Support Wind Power in Michigan!

 Offshore wind turbine, photo by phault, licensed via creative commons

Show your support for wind power in Michigan today!

photo by phault / CC BY 2.0

The Great Lakes Offshore Wind (GLOW) Council has recently announced its proposed policy recommendations and we need to make sure they hear the message loud and clear that Michigan supports wind power!  

Clean Water Action has been working hard to increase the state's investment in wind power, educating lawmakers on the need to grow renewable energy standards and provide incentives for small wind development that promote job growth in Michigan. 

Related Articles
  • Wind Power - Right for Michigan
  • ReEnergize Michigan With Energy Efficiency
Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Protect Pennsylvania's Kids from Toxics in Plastics!

 Baby bottle, photo by Marja Flick-Buijs

BPA doesn't belong in products for kids.
Take Action: Ask your State Representative to vote for HB 2478.

Many familiar products, such as baby bottles, water bottles, and other food containers, use a toxic chemical called BPA (bisphenol-A) in the plastic. Unfortunately, BPA can leach out of plastic containers and is now found in over 93% of all Americans according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Save Pennsylvania's Forests From Gas Drilling

Our forests are at risk from natural gas drilling, and only you can save them.

One-third of state forest lands, or about 700,000 acres, are already open to natural gas exploration and extraction. But gas drillers are pushing for more land, and Governor Rendell has proposed leasing additional state lands to help close the budget gap.

Our precious state parks and forests cannot be used as an ATM. Some of our major industries - outdoor tourism, recreation and sustainable timbering - rely on well-managed, protected lands in order to thrive. Gas drilling operations would mean building roads and pipelines through pristine lands, and would pose an immense risk to quality waterways.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

ReEnergize Michigan With Energy Efficiency

Hardhat and lunch pail

Help move Michigan to a clean energy future.

Michigan needs to move into a clean energy future that will create jobs, protect our environment and lower energy costs. The smartest way to do that? Energy efficiency!

A recent report released by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Association found that doubling Michigan's energy efficiency standard would save consumers over $22 billion by 2019. And if saving money isn't reason enough, the increased standard would create up to 7,600 jobs in Michigan!

Take Action: Help increase our energy efficiency standard!

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Governor Granholm: Please Reduce Dangerous Diesel Pollution

Yellow trucks in snowy setting, photo courtesy iStockphoto.com

Ask Gov. Granholm to reduce diesel emissions pollution.

Diesel pollution is bad for our health! Pollution from diesel vehicles like buses and trucks will cause an estimated 443 premature deaths in Michigan in 2010, as well as 648 non-fatal heart attacks, 15,004 asthma attacks, and 57,561 lost work days. Our children are particularly at risk.

Recently, Gov. Jennifer Granholm took a big first step toward cleaner air and healthier families in Michigan when she signed an Executive Directive calling for idling limitations for state vehicles.

While we applaud the governor for her efforts, we need help to make even bigger strides to protect our health and our environment, and create good-paying jobs in Michigan.

Sign our petition calling on Gov. Granholm to take another step forward for Michigan families.

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • environmental health
  • Petition
  • toxics
  • Read more

Tell Congress to Take Action on "Most Wanted" Toxic Chemicals!

"Every day, consumers rely on household products that contain thousands of chemicals. The American public expects the federal government to do all it can to ensure these chemicals are safe before they reach the market." -Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)

Skull and cross bones on yield sign

Persistent? Bioaccumulating? Toxic?!?! Tell your legislators you support getting the most hazardous, most studied chemicals out of the marketplace.

Americans assume that chemicals used to make ordinary products are tested for safety - but they are not. From baby bottles made with bisphenol A (BPA) to carpets containing formaldehyde, dangerous chemicals are in our homes, places of work, and the products we use every day. With each new scientific report linking toxic chemical exposure to a serious health problem, it becomes more obvious that the law intended to keep harmful chemicals in check - the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 - is not working.

Now, we have the chance to fix this problem - and to protect future generations from serious harm. By updating TSCA, Congress can create the foundation for a sound and comprehensive chemicals policy that protects public health and the environment, while restoring the luster of safety to U.S. goods in the world market. Take action:  Take
action: Tell Congress you support real chemical reform and the removal
of the most hazardous chemicals from everyday products.

Tags:
  • National
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Support Local Environmental Policy - Tell Cranston City Council You Support A Clean Diesel Ordinance!

Construction is responsible for a whopping 40% of all mobile diesel emissions in the Northeast. It's time that our policies reflect government concern for the health of the workers and the public in and around those construction sites, particularly when they are located in dense urban areas - the Clean Construction Ordinance does just that.

Take action now: Tell the Cranston City council that you support clean construction.

Tags:
  • Rhode Island
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Support legislation to reign in out of control natural gas drilling industry!

In the past two years, the natural gas industry has recklessly endangered the safety of Pennsylvania's waterways. Just this September, thousands of gallons of dangerous fluids, like diesel fuel and hydrochloric acid, have been spilled in multiple incidents in our state. Sadly, that's just the beginning when it comes to kind of accidents that have endangered our environment and our health.

Take action now: Ask your Representative to support critical legislation that would protect Pennsylvania's water from drillers.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

The State Senate Needs to Stop Stalling on Safe Drinking Water

Water fountain by Darwin Bell

Tell your State Senator: A year is too long to wait for safe drinking water!

On Earth Day 2009, eighteen Pennsylvania State Senators introduced SB 777, state legislation that would protect rivers, streams, and aquifers (groundwater) that supply our public drinking water. The list of co-sponsors has grown to 22 including 4 members of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

Almost a year later, State Senator Mary Jo White, Chair of the Committee, has still not scheduled the Safer Drinking Water Act for a vote.  Take action now: Tell your State Senator to ask Sen. White to schedule a vote on the Safer Drinking Water Act.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • democracy
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Tell the EPA to Keep Stormwater Out of DC's Rivers

Drains to your river notice, DC Water and Soil Conservation
photo by Daniel Lobo / CC BY 2.0

Tell the EPA to keep stormwater out of DC's rivers!

What is the greatest threat polluting the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and Rock Creek? The answer may surprise you. It is not industrial waste or piles of trash.

It's runoff of stormwater after heavy rains.

Unfortunately, this problem often goes unnoticed for the simple fact that we can't see it. During rain storms (or when our recent dumping of snow melts) water rushes off all of our paved surfaces taking much of the untreated oil, sediment, trash and other pollutants into our storm drains and the combined sewer/stormwater system which empty directly into the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.

Unlike the pollution that can more easily be controlled from a single source (waste discharged from an industrial building or construction site) stormwater is more difficult to control and thus requires a comprehensive solution.

The problem is that two-thirds of the District have an inadequate stormwater drainage system that uses old approaches to rush water away from our neighborhoods and streets as fast as possible towards DC's creeks and rivers.

Fortunately, new water management solutions can reduce and even eliminate stormwater pollution.

Take action now: Urge the EPA to issue the strongest stormwater permit possible for DC. Help protect the Potomac, Rock Creek, and the Anacostia from this hidden pollutant.

Tags:
  • Chesapeake
  • District of Columbia
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Keep the River of Grass Alive!

Great Blue Heron in the Everglades
photo by Stig Nygaard
CC BY 2.0

Take Action: Keep the River of Grass Alive!

On March 10th and 11th, the South Florida Water Management District's Governing Board (SFWMD) will make a decision on the River of Grass land acquisition contract.

Tags:
  • Florida
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Ensuring Progress on Minnesota’s Path to a Clean Energy Future

Clean Energy Clean Water

Take action to protect Minnesota's Nuclear Moratorium

Minnesota's progress on the path towards a clean and renewable energy future will be in danger if we allow more nuclear reactors to be built in our state.

Allowing the construction of new nuclear reactors in Minnesota will lead us off the renewable energy path that has made this state a national leader. Minnesota’s moratorium on the construction of new nuclear reactors was enacted for a good reason – reactors are expensive to build and threaten our precious water resources. Plants being built in Texas and Florida are projected to cost over $17 billion each. The nuclear plants currently operating in Minnesota are allowed to withdraw almost 390 billion gallons of surface and groundwater each year. That’s more than the amount of drinking water allotted to the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Duluth combined!

Tags:
  • Minnesota
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Tell Your U.S. Senators: Say No to Subsidies For “Clean Coal” Technology

A dangerous, dirty experimental, costly, and unneeded coal and chemical plant has been proposed for Linden, New Jersey. The proposal, purposely mis-named "PurGen", would include a pipeline that stretches 100 miles into the ocean in an attempt to bury carbon dioxide a mile and a half below the ocean floor.
Tags:
  • New Jersey
  • energy
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

We need comprehensive clean energy jobs legislation - Now!

Hardhat and lunch pail

Take Action Now: Tell your Senators now is the time to get "it" done!

Comprehensive clean energy jobs legislation would free the United States from our dependence on foreign oil. For Michigan, comprehensive legislation will rev the engine of our clean energy economy, which is already driving our economic resurgence. 

Comprehensive legislation will level the playing field, create more than 50,000 jobs in Michigan alone and move us to a sustainable, homegrown energy future.

Tags:
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Shut out the carp, shut the locks!

Big head carp, a variety of Asian carp

Stop the Asian Carp Invasion! Tell the President, the EPA, and the Army Corp of Engineers that the Great Lakes are too precious to be turned over to this invasive species.

Over the past few months, you've joined us in calling for swift action to stop the Asian carp invasion of our Great Lakes. We're down to the wire now, and we need to shut down the locks linking the Chicago river - where we know there are carp - and our precious Great Lakes via Lake Michigan. Earlier this week, Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm joined in a summit at the White House to discuss the threat with Obama administration officials and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn.

During the summit, representatives from Obama's administration said that the locks would be closed-but only at certain times! What's to stop the carp from swimming through any time the locks are open?

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

We Can't Wait Any Longer on Coal Ash

Coal power plant, Los Angeles, photo by Doc Searls

We can't wait to act on coal ash! Americans deserve clean energy. We shouldn't be poisoned by dirty coal plants and coal ash, and then be asked to foot the bill. Tell the President and the EPA.

photo by Doc Searls
CC BY-SA 2.0

Coal ash is a concentrated toxic by-product of burning coal and is a growing problem across the nation. The EPA and the National Academy of Sciences research show that coal ash is toxic, and threatens human health.

Yet Big Coal has been fighting any change to the status quo, lobbying against these proposed regulations and asking the nation’s energy regulators to charge ratepayers for any coal ash cleanup charges.

Tags:
  • National
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Revving Michigan's Engine

Chevy Volt, photo by citizenofthedeep, licensed under creative commons 2.0

Now is the time to get Michigan's economy going! Ask your State Representative ReEnergize Michigan

photo by citizenofthedeep
licensed under Creative Commons 2.0

Just recently, the very first battery pack for the Michigan-made Chevy Volt rolled off the line at GM's new Brownstown Assembly Plant, signaling another giant leap forward for Michigan's clean energy economy.

General Motors is making major investments all over the state as the car maker prepares to ramp up production of the hybrid electric Volt, revving up our economy and speeding along the path to a cleaner, greener Michigan.

As part of that green revolution, we're working hard to re-energize Michigan by reducing fuel emissions that cause global warming and health problems, and sending a signal that here in Michigan, we are committed to leading the world in advanced battery technology. Now it's time for our lawmakers to join in by supporting a fuel emissions reduction and the entire ReEnergize Michigan! legislative package.

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Tell Your Senators: Don't Vote to Weaken the Clean Air Act!

photo of single wind turbine against blue sky

Don't let the Senate stall progress! Tell them we need strong legislation on climate and energy, not attacks on the Clean Air Act.

Your U.S. Senators could be asked to vote soon on an amendment that could take away the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to enforce the Clean Air Act. Late last year, EPA announced that global warming emissions represent a danger to public health just like other forms of air pollution, and that the Clean Air Act needs to be put into action to reduce this pollution.

Clean Water Action is working to strengthen and defend our important laws that protect public health and the environment...but we can't do it without your help.

The science is clear: climate change has already begun to devastate our water resources, and we must act now to head off the worst impacts on public health, on water and other natural resources, and on our economy. Some U.S. Senators and industry lobbyists want to undermine the Clean Air Act. This is a dangerous precedent and flies in the face of what science tells us our government needs to do right now.

Tags:
  • National
  • energy
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Help Reform the Pedernales Electric Cooperative!

Last year's elections to the board of the Pedernales Electric Co-op resulted in a majority committed to ending the days of scandal that have plagued the PEC for so long. The PEC board is now considering bringing a Bill of Rights before the members for approval during this year's board elections.

Tags:
  • Texas
  • democracy
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Tell your Mayor and your Electric Utility to Pull the Plug on Nuclear Energy!

Tell your Mayor and electrical utility to pull the plug on nuclear energy

Costly, wasteful, and a burden on scarce water resources: Nuclear energy is not the direction for Texas.

Take Action Now

City Public Services (the City of San Antonio's electric utility) and New Jersey based NRG are currently seeking investors for two new nuclear reactors they hope to build at the South Texas Project site in Bay City, Texas. They are also seeking commitments from communities like yours to purchase the power these reactors would generate.

Recent revelations leave no doubt that top officials at the City Public Services deliberately misled the public and the San Antonio City Council about the true cost of nuclear power. Clean Water Action and our allies have issued warnings for several months now that the $13 billion price tag for the nuclear reactors proposed for South Texas was too low.

CPS has now admitted that this figure is $4 billion too low! Top staff
at CPS and chair of its Board have now resigned in disgrace.

Tags:
  • Texas
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Diesel Pollution: Threatening Health, Jobs in Michigan

Diesel truck with black smoke, courtesey WikiCommons

E-mail your representative in Michigan's House today to ask for legislation that will reduce diesel pollution.

Anyone whose ever been stuck behind a dump truck knows the black exhaust pouring out of diesel-powered vehicles is unpleasant, to say the least. What they, and you, might not know is what's in the exhaust and how it affects us. The black exhaust pouring out of diesel vehicles chips away at our health, putting Michiganders at an increased risk of heart attacks, lung cancer, and asthma. Diesel pollution is a silent killer.

In Michigan alone, it is annually estimated to cause the early deaths of 443 people, more than 15,000 asthma attacks, 648 non-fatal heart attacks, and over 57,000 lost work days. Further, diesel emissions have been shown to have 7 times the lifetime cancer risk than that posed by all the other 181 hazardous air pollutants combined.

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Write a letter to the editor to support clean energy!

LTE Tips
  • Include contact information - Be sure to add a phone number where you can be easily reached, as most papers will call to ask permission to publish.
  • Be brief - State your position as clearly without unnecessary detail. Keep your paragraphs short. Make one point and stick to it.
  • Be conversational, yet professional - Use your own voice, your own style, but remember, opinions are best received when expressed with tact and composure.
  • Adding Details - Feel free to use reports or studies to support your views, but avoid bogging people down in technical information. These days, people can always search online tools for more information.
  • Find a local angle - Can you link your LTE to recent happenings or decisions in your community? Localizing your perspective on this important issue will help get your letter published!
  • Submit again! - Papers are busy places, so resubmitting your letter or continuing to share your perspective will help you get noticed.

As our lawmakers decide how to vote on clean energy legislation, they face pressure from the special interest lobbies of dirty coal and big oil to maintain the status quo. During these times, congressional staffers report what the public is saying--both what they hear directly, and what is said through local newspapers.

That is why we are calling on you - a clean energy and climate policy supporter - to write your local newspaper to urge passage of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act that is currently in the Senate.

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Read more

Tell the Austin City Council To Support Clean Energy

Austin Energy, our city's award-winning electricity provider, has prepared a new ten-year plan on where we will get our energy from. This plan will increase Austin's commitment to clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency, help keep electric bills in check, and cut back on pollution from the coal-burning Fayette Power Plant.

Tags:
  • Texas
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Read more

Join the Million Baby Crawl for Reform of Toxic Substances Control

Million Baby Crawl

Create your virtual baby and join the crawl

Help send a million babies to Washington, DC, to push for reform of the outdated and ineffective Toxic Substances Control Act, so that we are all protected from harmful toxins. Join the Million Baby Crawl to DC online by creating your own virtual baby.

Chemicals are currently regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), a decades-old law that experts say has utterly failed to keep the nation’s environment and its citizens safe from materials that cause cancer and a host of other serious illnesses. In fact, in the 33 years since TCSA was enacted, the EPA has required testing on only 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds now in use.

Tags:
  • Minnesota
  • environmental health
  • Petition
  • toxics
  • water
  • Read more

Miami Developers Continue to Feast on Sprawl Despite Handful of Commissioners

Take Action!Although they did not yet have a majority, Miami-Dade Commissioners Edmonson, Sorenson, Sosa and Chairman Moss unified their voices, listened to their constituents and bucked the majority of commissioners who voted to advance a retail development proposed outside the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) at a November 4th hearing.

Tags:
  • Florida
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Urgent! Tell New Braunfels' Mayor And City Council Not To Support Nuclear Energy!

Earlier this year, many of you signed a postcard from Clean Water Action in support of clean energy and calling on leaders of New Braunfels to buy more renewable energy and develop energy efficiency programs that lower electric bills and reduce water use.

The good news is that New Braunfels Utilities has new energy efficiency programs, like a high efficiency air condition and heat pump rebate. The bad news is that it might sign a nuclear power contract with San Antonio.

Don't get duped.

Tags:
  • Texas
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Tell San Antonio's Mayor and City Council to Say No to Nuclear Power!

cooling tower, reflected in stream

$17 billion for unsafe, dirty energy? Tell your Mayor and City Council to pull the plug on nuclear energy!

Recent revelations leave no doubt that top officials at the City of San Antonio's electric utility, City Public Services, deliberately misled the public and the city council about the true cost of nuclear power.

Tags:
  • Texas
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Read more

Tell Georgetown's Mayor and the City Council not to support nuclear energy!

Nuclear power isn't the answer

Send a message to Georgetown's Mayor and the City Council telling them nuclear power costs too much, produces dangerous waste, and places too high a burden on our water resources.

Take Action Now

Did you know the City of Georgetown has a plan to get 30% of its power from nuclear energy by 2030? It is currently negotiating with CPS Energy of San Antonio to buy power from two proposed nuclear reactors in South Texas.

Despite the claims from CPS Energy and the nuclear industry, nuclear power has inherent flaws that make it a dangerous and risky source of energy for Georgetown. Here are just a few.

  • Cost: The cost of building new nuclear reactors is extremely expensive. San Antonio will have to spend at least $5.2 billion to build two new reactors with its partner, New Jersey-based NRG. The projected cost has already doubled since the project was first announced in 2007. To finance the project, CPS wants to sell half of its share to smaller utilities like Georgetown Utility System. That way, they would shed some of the huge financial risk that comes with such a massive project onto Georgetown ratepayers.

Tags:
  • Texas
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Hold DEP accountable to protect our drinking water from gas drilling contamination

Roughly 70 percent of Pennsylvania sits atop the Marcellus Shale formation with an estimated 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas worth about $500 billion. The oil and gas industry wants to earn millions of dollars more by extracting the natural gas by the quickest method possible. Thousands of gallons of local-source freshwater are needed in the process. The contaminated wastewater then needs to be discarded and currently there are no rules on how that should be done.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • energy
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Thank Kent County Commissioners for their leadership on water pollution

Sewage_overflowSince 2002, we have known that one million gallons of untreated waste leak daily from failing septic systems in Kent County. Our community has spoken out loud and clear against this pollution. Now, we are delighted to announce that County Commissioners Brandon Dillon and Sandi Parrish have recently committed to moving forward this year to solve this threat to our water and our health.

Take a moment to thank Commissioners Dillon and Parrish for their leadership.They need to know they have your strong support in moving forward.

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments

Tearing up 100,000 acres of forest is no kind of budget solution!

Support a tax on natural gas drilling!

Dead fish on muddy bank, photo by Philip Jackson

Tell Gov. Rendell and your legislators that opening Pennsylvania's wilderness to more natural gas exploration is unacceptable.
Take action now

In the budget deal agreed upon by Senate Leaders and the Governor last Friday, the state is mandated to lease approximately 100,000 acres of our most pristine forests for natural gas exploration.

Make no mistake, natural gas exploration will wreck these areas for hiking, fishing, hunting and the other outdoor activities. Drilling operatios will clearcut wide swaths through the forest and huge well pads, and they won't replace the trees when they are done.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Support Michigan and the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act

Repower, Rebuild America with a Clean Energy economy

Clean energy jobs are essential to Michigan's future.
Tell Sen. Levin and Sen. Stabenow to help pass climate change legislation now

You can't delay progress

We're moving Michigan forward every day, bearing down on our goal: a clean energy future for Michigan, 54,000 clean energy jobs for hard-working Michigan families, and a giant leap forward for the entire nation.

Prominent conservative Republicans are jumping on board. Already Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Lisa Murkowski have said they're ready to be flexible and consider the clean energy jobs legislation, but their far-right counterparts are trying to stall our progress and delay a vote.

Your commitment to contacting Sen. Levin and Sen. Stabenow and bringing your friends and family on board is paying off. We're marching down the field toward our goal, and nothing - not even the Republicans latest attempt to delay - is going to stop us.

Take action today!

Won't you join us in sending an e-mail a week to Senators Stabenow and Levin to keep the pressure on until they pass the energy bills?

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Thank Gov. Granholm for her leadership in the fight to stop the Michigan coal rush!

Victory: Governor's leadership triggers huge win in the fight to stop the Michigan coal rush!

Governor Granholm started Michigan on the course toward a clean energy future in February when she announced a requirement that prior to building new coal plants there must be a proven need for the new power as well as a study of other potential sources of energy. Please take a minute to thank Governor Granholm for requiring utilities to prove the need for new power and to review alternatives to coal plants.

Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

More Wind and Solar Power and No More Coal Pollution!

wind turbine against a blue sky

Energy doesn't have to mean pollution

Take action now!

Currently, Pennsylvania makes electricity suppliers buy some of their power from renewable sources. The amount is very small, but we have a chance to increase it.

Right now, House Bill 80 is a bill that would commit our state to providing almost a fifth of its power from truly renewable sources by 2024 as well as more than double our commitment to solar power in the same time frame.

This would be a very exciting development, one that closely mirrors the progress envisioned in Federal Climate Legislation, except one problem: the current draft of the legislation could wipe out all that progress by giving the coal industry a good reason to build a brand new coal power plant.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Ask Governor Ritter to keep Cherry Creek Reservoir Clean and Healthy!

Cherry Creek Reservoir is in danger!

The Reservoir has been closed several days this summer because of E coli bacterial levels. These bacterial pollutants occur in the water because area sewage treatment facilities don't treat their effluent properly before they discharge it into the Reservoir.

sewage mat near outflow pipe
Governor Ritter can help fix this problem by appointing pro-environment members to the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority.

Tags:
  • Colorado
  • democracy
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

A clean energy future for America!

compact fluorescent light bulb on coins

Do you have just 30 seconds to send an e-mail to your Senators urging them to fix both our climate and our economic crises?
Take action now.

What is it that "We, The People" all want? Clean water, a healthy planet and a clean energy future for America.

Climate and energy legislation are vitally important to the success of our economy and the health our environment. America's energy policy should be driven by clean energy incentives and firm limits on carbon pollution, which will help drive America's economic recovery. We must invest in energy efficient technologies which would create hundreds of thousands of new construction, energy service, and building maintenance and operations jobs by 2020, and ultimately reduce consumers' energy bills.

Your Senators needs to hear from you today.

Tags:
  • National
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

ReEnergize Michigan with Clean Michigan Energy and Good Michigan Jobs!

ReEnergize Michigan LogoMichigan is currently at a crossroads to secure our economic and energy future. Bold, immediate leadership is required to bring new industries to Michigan - including clean, alternative energy sources like advanced batteries, wind, energy efficiency and solar power - before other states position themselves as the leaders and draw investment in these emerging industries. By acting now, we can make Michigan a leader and make clean energy the profitable kind of energy.

Related Articles
  • Time to ReEnergize Michigan!
Tags:
  • Michigan
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Stop Proposed Water Extraction In Wayne County

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is considering an application to permit one million gallons of water withdrawal per day from the Delaware River. This water would be used to force natural gas out of wells very deep in the ground.

Over half of the water would have to be disposed of afterward, but these millions of gallons of water will be so polluted that there’s no good way to safely treat the water and re-release it back into the environment.

Additionally, transportation of this water will require approximately 200 diesel truck trips per day, further adding to the particulate and CO2 pollution in northern Pennsylvania.

Related Articles
  • Dimock Natural Gas Drilling and How It's Effecting The Local Community
Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • energy
  • environmental health
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Ask Representative Markey to protect Colorado from uranium mining!

Northern Colorado is threatened by uranium mining. In addition, other types of hardrock mining threaten much of Colorado’s landscapes, rivers, and wildlife habitat.

The Hard Rock Mining Act of 2009 (H.R. 699) was recently introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives to help protect Colorado from the impacts of hardrock mining.

Presently, federal mining law dates back to 1872; the Hardrock Mining Act of 2009 is a much needed update to that antiquated law and contains critical requirements to protect Colorado.

Tags:
  • Colorado
  • energy
  • global warming
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Allegheny County Needs to Clean Up Its Air - And Its Act!

On July 1, 2009 the Allegheny County Board of Health voted 8 to 1 to indefinitely postpone updating the guidelines they use to issue permits for industry to release toxics (Air Toxics Guidelines). The current guidelines are over 20 years old and are based on science that is probably 30 years old. The Board passed the buck and said they would wait until the State of Pennsylvania develops new regulations.

Take Action now!The Health Department took this action even though our air is unhealthy. We have received four failing report cards on our air quality:

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Take Action to Protect Pennsylvania's Drinking Water

On Earth Day, eighteen Pennsylvania State Senators introduced SB 777, state legislation that would protect rivers, streams, and aquifers (groundwater) that supply our public drinking water. This bill, the Safer Drinking Water Act, will provide special protection to any water that supplies the public with its drinking water.

Take Action Now: Urge your State Senator to support the Safer Drinking Water Act and push for a vote in the senate.

Tags:
  • Pennsylvania
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Tell Congress: No BPA in Food & Beverage Containers

Federal legislation has been introduced in Congress that would ban the toxic chemical BPA from food and beverage containers.

Woman reading food label, copyright istockphoto/See Hear Media, Inc.

Help ban BPA nationwide

BPA, first developed as a synthetic sex hormone, can be found in re-useable water bottles, the lining of your soup or soda cans, baby bottles, sippy cups, and other polycarbonate plastic products. It has been shown to leach from containers directly into food and beverages, especially when heated. Why is this a problem?

More than 200 studies have found that low dose exposures to BPA are linked to heart disease, breast and testicular cancers, reproductive problems, and other diseases reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted research that revealed detectable levels of BPA in the bodies of 93% of Americans.

Tags:
  • National
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

Take it to the Floor - Tell the Senate Environment Committee Diesel Needs to Move Now!

Take Action Now
Construction is responsible for a whopping 40% of all mobile diesel emissions in the Northeast. It's time that our policies reflect government concern for the health of the workers and the public in and around those construction sites, particularly when they are located in dense urban areas - the Diesel Emission Reduction Act does just that.

Tags:
  • Rhode Island
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more

New Hampshire Support Needed to Ban BPA from Food and Beverage Containers

You've probably seen a lot of talk in the news recently about the chemical, Bisphenol A, or BPA. Bans are now in place across the country, including Suffolk County NY, Chicago, IL and in the state of Minnesota. Companies like S.C. Johnson, Gerber, and Sonoco have stopped using the chemical in products intended for children.

Tags:
  • New Hampshire
  • environmental health
  • Letter to a Decision Maker
  • toxics
  • water
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Read more