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Environmental Justice at the MA State House
Photo: Maria Belen Power - Chelsea GreenRoots (center), Andrea Nyamekye - Neighbor to Neighbor (left), Madeleine Scammell - BUSPH (right) testify at environmental justice hearing
Just last week at the Massachusetts State House, the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture held a hearing for a new environmental justice bill. This bill aims to increase support for environmental justice communities as defined in former Governor Deval Patrick’s 2014 executive order and the EJ policy that was originally issued way back in 2002 and updated in 2017. The Executive Order lays out a
Everyone's doing it, and so should Massachusetts!
What is IT, you ask? It’s bettering our products, homes, and lives by going flame retardant free! These chemicals have been linked to increased rates of cancer and problems with fertility, development and the nervous system and can be found in many common household items such as furniture, electronics, and toys.
Awful, right? Luckily, we’re not the only ones who think so. 14 states have already banned toxic flame retardants, pushing their leaders to recognize the hazards these chemicals pose.
This summer, Maine took it to a whole new level by passing a strong piece of legislation which bans
HUGE WIN: General Assembly votes to protect Rhode Island families and first responders!
Yesterday, the Rhode Island House of Representatives voted to pass H5082, which will phase out the use of organohalogens, a dangerous chemical used in flame retardants that is associated with cancer and respiratory ailments.
The Senate already unanimously passed this bill in the spring, but when the General Assembly adjourned suddenly in June, the House version was left in legislative limbo. Over the summer, we worked to make sure that a strong version of this bill would be on the agenda when the General Assembly reconvened in the fall to address its unfinished business.
Thankfully, it was
Tip: Choosing safe cookware
There is nothing like a home cooked meal made from scratch. Make sure the care you take to create a delicious, healthy meal isn’t undermined by harmful chemicals leaching from your cookware.
Tip: Use stainless steel, glass or cast iron cookware. Cast iron cookware is non-stick if properly seasoned. Avoid cookware with non-stick chemical coatings. Discard non-stick cookware that is scratched and never heat when empty or under a broiler.
Non-stick cookware tends to contain perfluorochemicals (PFCs). In 2015, 200 experts issued a consensus statement which raised concerns about PFCs and their
Flame Retardant Bills are on fire-pun intended!
As the summer kicked off in June and many went on vacation, the Joint Committee on Public Health was hard at work setting up hearings and listening to testimony. This legislative session has started with a lot of hope for the Children and Firefighters Protection Act; it passed the Senate unanimously last session and Clean Water Action and allies are determined to see it pass both the Senate and the House this time around.
The Children and Firefighters Protection Acts were heard by the Public Health Committee early on in the committee’s 8 month stretch of scheduled hearings. On June 6 th the