Toxic Chemicals

From before we are born until the time we die, we are repeatedly and regularly exposed to toxic chemicals with the potential to seriously harm our health. Toxic chemicals can be found in our homes, schools and workplaces – in products we use on a daily basis. We're fighting at local, state, and federal levels to fix our chemical laws and find safer alternatives to the chemicals in everyday products.

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Massachusetts

Keep toxic chemicals out of our homes and food packaging!

Please sign a petition to Governor Baker and the members of the Massachusetts legislature to urge them to protect our health from toxic chemicals.

Sign the Petition!

Recent Actions

National

Make Them Pay for the Non-stick Nightmare

Make them pay

Take Action!

Connecticut

Take Action - Turn Off the Tap of PFAS chemicals!

Now’s the time to raise your voice on key restrictions on toxic PFAS chemicals in Connecticut. There are two critical bills that will restrict PFAS chemicals this session!

Please contact your legislators today and urge them to support SB 297 and HB 5291

Pennsylvania

Protect Our Fire Fighters from PFAS

Tell Pennsylvania legislators to protect our firefighters and families from toxic PFAS. Vote NO on SB 919 and work toward completely banning the use of firefighting foam that contains PFAS instead.

Take Action! Tell your legislator to oppose SB 919!

Virginia

Take Action! Urge the City of Alexandria to Act on Toxic Chemicals

Toxic chemicals such as PFAS are found in many common products such as clothing, carpets, fabrics for furniture, adhesives, paper packaging for food, firefighting foam, and heat-resistant/non-stick cookware.

Urge the City of Alexandria to Act on toxic chemicals!

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Toxic Chemicals Blog Posts

Firefighters using PFAS fire fighting foam

PFAS in CT: From the Streets to the State House

July 2, 2020

Canvassing on the streets of central Connecticut after the PFAS spills last summer, community members supplied an abundance of energy and motivation that lead to fantastic steps toward protecting our communities from PFAS chemicals.

PFAS, the “forever chemicals” made simple

June 26, 2020

In our work at Clean Water Action we throw around a lot of statistics and chemical names which, if you’re not used to hearing them, all sound pretty much like “ethyl-methyl-bad-stuff.” Sometimes that’s really all you need to know: “there’s something bad there – stay away.”

But one group of chemicals you really should know about is PFAS, aka “Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances”, aka “the forever chemicals.” To keep it simple, we’ve boiled down the facts for you in this handy infographic. Check it out!

Do We Really Need This? Reflections on COVID19 and PFAS Chemicals

June 16, 2020

During the past three months of stay-at-home time, obtaining “things” took on new complications. I’ve found that I don’t really need all the items that might pop into my head. “Do I really need this?” is a daily question. This came to mind last week as we commented to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on regulating PFAS chemicals in drinking water (See here for background on these chemicals and drinking water challenges.).