Latest News

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Community organizers hold press conference outside of Listening Session on Chemical Security in Houston, TX. Photo Credit: Bryan Parras

Breaking news and news coverage of the campaign activities of the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform and affiliate organizations.

May 30, 2018

Customers Urge Dollar General Executives to Act on Toxic Chemicals in Products at Annual Shareholder Meeting. Read the news release in English or Spanish.

March 28, 2018

Educational Video Highlights Toxic Chemicals Found in Microwave Popcorn. Read the news release in English or Spanish.

December 14, 2017

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. Read the news release here for more information.

December 5, 2017

Shoppers, Parents and Health Experts Visit 80+ Dollar Tree and Family Dollar Locations Asking for Toxic Chemical Safety this Holiday Season. Read the news release in English or Spanish.

November 14, 2017

Major Retailers Graded on Toxic Chemicals in Products and Packaging - Dollar General and Dollar Tree Falling Behind Competition Regarding Safer Products. Get more information here.

October 24, 2017

The Environmental Justice Health Alliance Commends Senator Booker's New Bill to Address Environmental Injustices. Read the news release here.

October 19, 2017

Studies show that people in poverty are exposed to more environmental pollution, and our own research shows Blacks and Latinos are far more likely to live next to hazardous facilities which are often its source of this pollution--but these studies simply confirm the experiences of exposure, illness, and death that too many people living in the shadow of industrial chemical pollution know so well. That's why Coming Clean worked with Delaware community groups and the Union of Concerned Scientists to issue a new report showing that all seven 'environmental justice communities' we studied in Wilmington face dramatically higher risk of developing cancers or respiratory illnesses linked to this pollution. Read the press release here, the executive summary here, or go straight to the report, here.

October 18, 2017

We teamed up with NRDC and Breast Cancer Prevention Partners to get toxic phthalates out of children's toys--and we won! The Consumer Product Safety Commission listened to our scientists and advocates, and just took decisive action to protect the health of our kids! Read more here.

Consumer Agency to Ban Harmful Chemicals in Children’s Toys. Read the news release here.

September 20, 2017

Victory! The Consumer Product Safety Commission took much-needed action to ban a class of bio-accumulative halogenated flame retardants - linked to endocrine disruption, cancer and more. Read the news article here.

September 1, 2017

Harvey's Cleanup List: Toxic Plumes, Dead Animals, Debris. Read the news article here.
If You Think the Government Will Do Something About Chemical Explosions in the Wake of Houston, Think Again. Read the news article here.

August 30, 2017

A Toxic Storm: Hazardous Facilities, Failed Chemical Safety Policies, and Extreme Weather Leave Houston Residents Swimming in Toxic Soup

In response to the devastation and suffering created by Tropical Storm Harvey, and the toxic hazards posed to health and the environment by dozens of hazardous industrial and commercial facilities concentrated in the Houston area, Michele Roberts, Co-Coordinator of the Environmental Justice Health Alliance (EJHA), issued a statement. Read the statement here.

August 24, 2017

Coming Clean, a network of 200 community, state and national organizations working to reduce the disproportionate suffering toxic chemicals impose on people of color and the poor, is deeply saddened and disappointed by the recent racist, hateful actions in Charlottesville, Virginia. Our hearts are with the victims of these attacks—whether they died or were injured directly by white supremacists, died in an accident while seeking to protect the public, or were one of the millions among us who felt the chill and horror intended by this terrorist attack. We condemn racism and all supremacist ideologies everywhere they appear, be they in the streets of Charlottesville, our institutions of government and criminal justice, and in the daily lives of those who continue to suffer their impacts. Read our statement here.

June 22, 2017

Dollar Tree says it's protecting consumers from toxic chemicals - Group wants proof. Read the article here.

June 23, 2017

A Force for Nature, and for New Mexico. Read the feature NRDC wrote on EJHA leader Richard Moore.

June 15, 2017

Dollar Tree Customers Confront Executives At Shareholder Meeting Asking For Nontoxic Products - But Receive No Answers. Read the news release.

May 31, 2017

Trump must not block efforts to prevent chemical disasters. Read the OpEd by Pamela Nixon featured on The Hill.

May 11, 2017

The Power of Collaboration for Environmental Health and Justice. Read about the power of our collaborative in this article by Carolyn Fine Friedman featured on Grantmakers In Health.

April 18, 2017

EPA Administrator Pruitt Delays Safety Measures, Puts Workers and Fence-line Communities in Further Danger of Chemical Disasters. Read the news release here.

February 27, 2017

25 EJ Groups Urge Congress: Don't Meddle with Chemical Plant Safety Improvements. Groups Say Congress will be Blamed if New Safety Updates are Blocked and Disaster Strikes. Read the news release here.

February 10, 2017

The Environmetal Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform sends a letter to congressional leaders regarding the Risk Management Plan (RMP) rule and program. Read the letter here.

August 7, 2016

On July 15 and 16 Coming Clean and the Environmental Justice Health Alliance hosted a Clean Power Plan "101" Training event in collaboration with the Building Equity and Alignment for Impact and the Delaware Concerned Residents for Enivronmental Justice. Watch a short video of the training here.

July 12, 2016

New Op-Ed by David Levine of the American Sustainable Business Council: EPA should do more to prevent chemical disasters that threaten local economies
"Unfortunately, EPA’s proposed changes focus almost entirely on addressing facility safety after catastrophic chemical releases and explosions have already occurred. ... EPA’s proposal lags behind what the business community wants, which is good rules and actions that prevent these disruptions to their businesses by transitioning the most hazardous facilities to safer chemicals." Read more.

April 27, 2016

'On the Ground’ Show with Michele Roberts on behalf of the Environmental Justice Health Alliance. Speaking on Earth Day, fighting for justice in Flint, Michigan and how has the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement impacted the environmental justice movement? Listen the first hour here, featuring voices from Jose Bravo and Richard Moore. Lisen to the second hour here, featuring Rev. David Bouie and Dr. Monica Unseld.

March 21, 2016

Hackensack University Medical Center is taking steps with American Sustainable Business Council to eliminate toxics and replace them with safer alternatives. Take a look here.

Febuary 17, 2016

News Release: Environmental Justice Advocates Celebrate Victory as Lawsuit Settlement Directs EPA to Protect Communities from Chemical Spills.

February 4, 2016

New report shows that 63 million Americans are endangered by chlorine bleach plants despite availability of safer alternatives.

January 25, 2016

Dollar store deals: Study shows many bargain items may be hazardous to your health.

January 18, 2016

Important new CNN OpEd on race, poverty, and chemical disasters co-authored by Coming Clean Board Member and Environmental Justice Health Alliance Co-Coordinator Richard Moore.

October 8, 2015

EJHA and other members of the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters release new public opinion research showing bipartisan national support for strong rules to prevent chemical disasters, call on President Obama and EPA to act.