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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California

Watch a Forum on PFAS and What You Can Do About it in California!

In May 2020, we held a townhall to talk about PFAS and it's impact on the health of first responders and communities.

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Recent Actions

Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, National, Rhode Island, Virginia

Tell major retailers: Get toxic chemicals out of products and packaging!

Will you send an email to all fourteen companies that earned F grades? These companies, including Ulta, Starbucks, and TJ Maxx/Marshalls need to hear from you.

Tell major retailers: Get toxic chemicals out of products and packaging!
Pennsylvania

Plan to protect Pennsylvania's air and communities

Urge your legistors to support HB 1752 and protect Pennsylvania's air and communities.

Take Action! Support HB 1752 - a plan to protect Pennsylvania's air and communities
Maryland

Protect Baltimore from dangerous pesticides!

Clean Water Action has worked for years to reduce the use of dangerous pesticides in Maryland.

Protect Baltimore from dangerous pesticides!
Virginia

Urge the Virginia General Assembly to Take Action on PFAS in Drinking Water

Clean Water Action and our allies have led efforts during this year’s General Assembly session to address toxic per and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances by pressing for legislation to study the occurrence of these chemicals in Virginia’s public drinking water, and to address sources of human exposure.

Urge the Virginia General Assembly to Take Action on PFAS in Drinking Water

Related Toxic Chemicals Topics

Toxic Chemicals Publications

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. 

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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!

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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.).

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