|
Accomplishments
Check out the pictures from the PVC National Day of Action:
Target Stores in
Albany
and Nationwide Protested for Carrying Products and Packaging Linked to Cancer
and Birth Defects
More
than 60 Health & Environmental Organizations Urge Target to
Join Wal-Mart, Microsoft and Other Retailers in Phasing Out Dangerous
PVC
(Vinyl) Toys, Shower Curtains and Other Products and Packaging
(
Colonie
NY
) – The Citizens’ Environmental
Coalition today descended upon Target in Northway Mall to protest their refusal
to phase out the use of toxic PVC, commonly known as vinyl. The group, several
of whom were wearing hazmat suits, handed flyers to shoppers. The group also
put warning tape on store shelves containing PVC products.
Already Wal-Mart, Nike,
Microsoft, Ikea, H&M, and Johnson and Johnson are phasing-out PVC, or
polyvinyl chloride, products and/or packaging due to serious health and
environmental problems. But Target has
not responded to over 60 environmental organizations who have been urging the
company since March, 2006 to begin replacing these hazardous materials with
safe alternatives.
“Target claims to be environmentally friendly and good for
the community but they are knowingly selling products that cause harm,” said
Christian Werwaiss of CEC. “Products at
Target made with PVC include some children’s toys, shower curtains, and
packaging, among many others. The good news is safe and cost-effective
alternatives are available.”
For pictures of the event
Click here
Environmentalists
Urge
State
Candidates to Pledge to Reduce Toxic Impact in NY
The Alliance for a Toxic Free Future (ATFF) called today for
candidates for state office in New York State to pledge to take action to
reduce the threat to the public health and environment from exposure to unsafe
chemicals.
“ATFF represents
New
York
State
’s
growing movement for environmental health and justice. We trust that those who
claim to represent New Yorkers will gladly sign the pledge to protect our
families, workers and environment. Recent developments in science and
technology promise to move the chemical industry to a new green future. We need
leadership from government and business to realize this promise,” said Prof.
Steve Breyman, co-chair of the Board of Citizens’ Environmental Coalition.
For Full Press release click here.
Factory
"Farms" Harm Our Health & Environment, New Report Reveals
Last week's 3 million gallon
liquid manure spill preventable; 100,000+ fish killed in Black Creek
needless tragedy
(August 17, 2005) Citizens'
Environmental Coalition and Sierra Club today released "The Wasting of
Rural New York State: Factory Farms and Public Health" which reveals
the damage that gigantic, poorly-regulated factory "farms" are doing to
our health, environment and economy.
For a complete copy of the report, download the .pdf file,
or contact CEC's Albany
office for a printed copy. ATFF’s 70 plus member
organizations represent a broad range of environmental health, justice, labor,
faith-based, academic, and health-effected groups. The groups are seeking to
eliminate the use and emission of toxic chemicals by using safer substitutes,
and redesigning production processes, products and systems. The
Alliance
was formed in the fall of 2004 with the goal of
reforming
New York
’s
chemicals policy so that the threat of toxic chemical exposure becomes a thing
of the past.
-- select the "CAFOs" data set and enter your zip code.
Groups Unveil
New York
’s 2006 “Dirty Dozen” Awards
“Winners” Asked to Step Up and Make Necessary Changes
(
Albany
) On Thursday June 1st, community and
environmental groups across the state unveiled the “winners” of Citizens'
Environmental Coalition’s (CEC) Third Annual “Dirty Dozen” Awards to draw
attention to pollution and environmental health problems in
New York
State
. Each Dirty Dozen award is a pair of worn children's shoes, mounted to a
plaque featuring the name of the winning site and carrying the message:
"NY's Children ask: Will you take the necessary steps to right these
wrongs?" Each award is unique
and represents how children are particularly vulnerable to toxic exposures.
Click here for more information.
NOMINATE 2007 DIRTY DOZEN WINNERS!
High
Levels of Toxic Lead Found in Children’s Jewelry Sold at
Rochester Retailers
Bill to Ban the Sale of
Lead-Tainted Jewelry Introduced by Assemblyman Koon and Senator Alesi
Leading environmental health advocates today
released new test results which found alarmingly high levels of lead in
children’s jewelry sold at various Rochester retailers.
Rochesterians Against the Misuse of Pesticides collected random samples
of children’s jewelry from Big Lots, Eckerds, and Wegmans and
sent them to a lab for analysis in April. The tests revealed
concentrations of lead over 60,000 parts per million – over
one hundred times the established limit of 600 parts per million,
according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Assemblyman David
Koon (D – Fairport) and Senator James Alesi (R –
Perinton) have introduced legislation, A. 7726 / S. 5300, banning the
sale and distribution of jewelry containing lead, to reduce
children’s exposure to this hazard.
Click here for full press release.
Groundbreaking
Report Finds Hazardous Chemicals in Household Dust Across U.S.
Environmental Health Advocates Call
upon Governor to
Convene NY Flame Retardant Taskforce
Abundance of Toxic Chemicals Leach
from Electronics,
Shower Curtains, Vinyl Flooring and Other Common Household Products
Causing Unnecessary Health Risks
A national study released today found 35
hazardous chemicals in dust samples taken from 70 homes in seven
states, including ten in the Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and
New York City areas. The study -- Sick of Dust:
Chemicals in Common Products - a Needless Health Threat in Our Homes -- is the first in the U.S. to look at a new and wide range of
chemicals commonly found in computers, cosmetics, upholstery,
pesticides and other consumer products. All of these chemicals are
legal, despite being internationally recognized as toxic or harmful to
the immune and reproductive systems. Babies and young children are
particularly at risk from exposure.
Sick of Dust outlines all
of the major chemicals found in the dust samples, their health risks,
and the products in which they are found. The report also ranks
companies on their use of hazardous chemicals and reveals fundamental
changes needed to reform American chemical regulation to protect our
basic health and that of future generations. For a copy of
the full report please visit www.safer-products.org.
Click here for full press release.
CITY
OF BUFFALO PASSES RESOLUTION
TO REDUCE THE PURCHASE OF TOXIC PRODUCTS
BUFFALO
IS FIRST CITY IN NEW YORK TO ADOPT PURCHASING POLICY TO REDUCE WORLD'S
WORST TOXIC CHEMICALS
On December 28th the City of Buffalo Common
Council passed a resolution
to reduce the purchase and use of products containing Persistent
Bioaccumulative Toxic chemicals (PBTs), during their manufacture and/or
disposal. The resolution, introduced by Masten District Councilmember
Antoine Thompson, seeks to develop and implement purchasing practices
for the City of Buffalo that favor products that do not create PBTs.
Products containing and releasing PBTs include PVC office supplies and
building materials, Para-dichlorobenzene-containing urinal deodorizing
blocks, and Mercury-containing thermostats. This resolution is the
first of its kind in New York to address the purchase and use of
products containing PBTs by a City. Click here to read full press release
Click here to read the policy
Click here for a list of endorsers
NEW YORK
RANKS SECOND IN NATION ON PVC INCINERATED
NATIONAL
REPORT ON PVC, THE POISON PLASTIC DESCRIBES LOOMING WASTE CRISIS AND
PERVASIVE HAZARDS
CEC has co-released a new report
documenting the health and environmental hazards posed by PVC (the
“poison plastic”) during manufacturing, product use
and disposal. New York incinerates over 37,000 tons of PVC waste
according to estimates in the report. PVC, Bad News Come in Threes: The
Poison Plastic, Health Hazards, and the Looming Waste Crisis concludes
that billions of pounds of PVC are being thrown away in the U.S.- but
there is no 'away' as PVC waste poses perpetual hazards.
Read the report along with supporting
materials online at http://www.besafenet.com/pvc.htm
REPORT
REVEALS KODAK VIOLATED
STATE AIR GUIDELINES FOR 14 YEARS
On November 11, CEC & the Kandid
Coalition released a new report by award winning chemist Wilma Subra,
who found Kodak violated state Methylene Chloride ambient air
guidelines for the last 14 years. Ms. Subra compared Bucket Brigade
samples for Methylene Chloride to Kodak's air-monitoring data, and
found they were in agreement for amounts detected during the same
periods, verifying the accuracy of Bucket Brigade sampling.
The Kandid Coalition, CEC, and Global
Community Monitor are calling on Kodak to install a comprehensive
continuous air-monitoring system that would monitor the air around
Kodak 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and to inform the
community of monitoring results.
You can read the report along with recent
articles about Kodak's pollution online at: http://www.kodakstoxiccolors.org/new/new.html
|
