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The campaign to ban toxic flame retardants in Massachusetts started in January 2013 when Senator Cynthia Stone Creem filed the first version of the bill to ban toxic flame retardants. We knew we needed a strong coalition for it to become law. So when environmental groups and firefighter unions across the country were teaming up to co-host local “Give Toxics the Boot”events in early 2014, we signed up. The events included press conferences with firefighters’ boots lined up on statehouse steps to represent those who died “with their boots off”—from occupational illness—and a

Lead exposure is a problem that America has been facing for decades. The EPA estimates that lead in drinking water can account for 20% of a person's exposure to lead ( Lead and Drinking Water). Currently, there are lead service lines in up to ten million homes across the country. Replacing them comes at a high cost. Each lead service line is owned by both the municipality in which the line resides and the resident’s house the line directly serves.

Recently, I had the chance to talk to members in Malden, MA where 25% of households have lead service lines. Since half of the line is owned by the

I’ve been working on the question of what water should be protected by the Clean Water Act for 19 years. Polluters and their allies in Congress have been trying to remove some water bodies from the Act’s jurisdiction for just as long, so you would think I ran out of outrage a long time ago. But no.