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.

Beakers. Photo credit: Africa Studios / Shutterstock

California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, National, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island

PFASs Chemicals – Protecting Our Drinking Water And Our Health

PFASs is a class of human-made chemicals which includes Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances These chemicals are very long-lived, which means that they remain in the environment and in humans and wildlife for a very long time. Two of these chemicals, PFOA and PFOS are relatively well known, and manufacturers have voluntarily stopped producing them. However, PFOA and PFAS continue to be detected at contaminated sites, in water, and in our bodies.

Recent Actions

National

Make Them Pay for the Non-stick Nightmare

Make them pay

Take Action!

Minnesota

Tell Ulta, Sephora, and Sally Beauty: It’s time for a makeover

Beauty product retailers can use their purchasing power to ensure the products sold on store shelves are safe, but the top three companies received poor marks on consumer health. Ask these companies to become consumer health leaders in the beauty product sector today.

Act Now!

California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, National

Demand Disclosure of Toxic Fragrance Chemicals

A federal labeling loophole allows manufacturers to hide unlabeled, unregulated toxic fragrance ingredients in the products they sell.

Act Now

Massachusetts

Who deserves clean air and water?

Everyone deserves clean energy and a healthy environment, but many Massachusetts communities bear a greater health burden from fossil fuel pollution.

Take Action for Clean Energy

English

Press Releases

December 6, 2018

Clean Water Action applauds Governor Murphy, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe on Environmental Justice Initiative to target polluters

Camden, NJ – Clean Water Action applauds the Murphy Administration’s announcement at 1 pm today of eight lawsuits filed across the state to hold polluters accountable in environmental justice communities, including Camden and Newark.

June 7, 2018

Public Interest Groups Call for Release of Suppressed U.S. Study on PFAS Chemicals

A wide-ranging coalition of public interest groups is calling for the immediate release of a suppressed federal study that says perfluorinated chemicals in drinking water are hazardous at much lower levels than the Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines state.

April 20, 2018

Clean Water Action Applauds Governor Murphy on Signing of Environmental Justice (EJ) Executive Order

"The time for talking is past," said Kim Gaddy, Environmental Justice Organizer for Clean Water Action. "This environmental justice (EJ) executive order starts the process and the governor cannot move fast enough to adopt mandatory EJ measures across multiple agencies. We need to significantly reduce the cumulatively be pollution burdens and health impacts on New Jersey is most vulnerable-low income communities and communities of color."

Happy Thanksigivng. Photo credit Joey Rozier, Flickr

Quick Tips for a Healthier Thanksgiving

November 16, 2018

These simple steps will help ensure that you can focus the rest of your holiday on your food, friends, and family

No, Not Again: Major retailers still have a long way to go for safe stores

November 14, 2018

Mind the Store is a national campaign that works to get major retailers to get toxic chemicals off of their store shelves. Major retailers across the United States sell thousands of products containing toxic chemicals. Every year, Mind the Store releases a report card grading some of these retailers towards their progress on getting toxic chemicals off of store shelves. The companies are scored in different areas such as accountability, policy and disclosure.

Why does everything have to smell like roses?

September 25, 2018

Have you walked down the lotion, cleaning product, or personal care aisles lately and gotten a little light headed from the hundreds of different fragrances hitting you all at once? Do you ever avoid walking past the perfume area in Macy’s or any of the other large retailers in malls?