Center For Environmental Health

THE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROTECTS PEOPLE FROM TOXIC CHEMICALS AND PROMOTES BUSINESS PRODUCTS AND PRACTICES THAT ARE SAFE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

OTHER PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:PRESENTED WEBINARS ON CHOOSING HEALTHY FURNITURE AND FLOORING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM LARGE INSTITUTIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR PURCHASING DECISIONS. ONE MULTINATIONAL BANK ADOPTED OUR FLOORING AND FURNITURE SPECIFICATIONS WITH A PURCHASING POWER OF $150 MILLION ANNUALLY.DEVELOPED AN ONLINE CALCULATOR THAT ALLOWS PURCHASERS TO ENTER DATA FOR TWO PRODUCTS AND COMPARE THE ANNUAL COST OF OWNERSHIP OVER THE PRODUCTS LIFESPANS. CEH DEVELOPED ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING (EPP) POLICIES THAT THE CITYHEALTH INITIATIVE WILL UTILIZE FOR CITIES PARTICIPATING IN ITS NATIONAL CITY RECOGNITION PROGRAM. THESE METRICS APPLY TO THREE PRODUCT CATEGORIES THAT ARE COMMONLY PURCHASED IN LARGE VOLUMES BY CITIES, AND WHICH POSE THREATS TO HEALTH INCLUDING FURNISHINGS (CARPET, FLOORING, AND FURNITURE), FOODWARE, AND CLEANING PRODUCTS.CEH HELD VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS FEATURING HIGH-PROFILE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ACTIVISTS, CORPORATE LEADERS, PROFESSORS, AND STUDENTS TO DISCUSS IMPORTANT POLICY, TOXIC CHEMICAL EXPOSURE, AND PUBLIC HEALTH TOPICS.

LITIGATED TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM TOXIC CHEMICALS AND HEAVY METALS:CEH INITIATED NEW LITIGATION AGAINST 95 COMPANIES AFTER OUR TESTING SHOWED THAT BPA LEVELS IN SOCKS MADE FOR BABIES, CHILDREN, AND ADULTS COULD EXPOSE CONSUMER TO UP TO 31 TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT UNDER CA LAW. BPA IS A WELL-STUDIED HORMONE-DISRUPTING CHEMICAL, KNOWN TO CAUSE DEVELOPMENTAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HARM, AND CAN BE ABSORBED INTO OUR SKIN.CEH HAS ALSO INITIATED LITIGATION AFTER FINDING CANCER-CAUSING NITROSAMINES IN SPEEDO SWIM CAPS AS WELL AS 20 LATEX WORKOUT BANDS. THESE CHEMICALS ARE KNOWN TO CAUSE CANCER IN DIVERSE ORGANS AND TISSUES INCLUDING LUNG, BRAIN, LIVER, KIDNEY, BLADDER, STOMACH, AND ESOPHAGUS. CEH REACHED A FINAL SETTLEMENT WITH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS AFTER THE LARGEST TOXIC GAS BLOWOUT IN U.S. HISTORY BACK IN 2015. AS PART OF THE SETTLEMENT, THE UTILITY COMPANY MUST MONITOR FOR BENZENE AT ITS ALISO CANYON FACILITY IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY AND PROVIDE TEXT-MESSAGE AND EMAIL ALERTS FOR ALL RESIDENTS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IN THE EVENT OF ANOTHER LEAK.CEH ALSO FINALIZED LEGAL AGREEMENTS WITH THREE POLLUTING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA-BASED PLASTIC PRODUCT MANUFACTURING COMPANIES (SNUGTOP, SMERICH CORPORATION, AND XERXES). OUR AGREEMENTS REQUIRE THESE COMPANIES TO REDUCE STYRENE EMISSIONS AT THEIR FACILITIES. STYRENE IS A CARCINOGEN WITH EXPOSURE LINKED TO HEALTH EFFECTS INCLUDING LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOMA, AND LUNG CANCER. PARTNERED WITH 38 OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN PETITIONING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO REMOVE THE LEAD FROM GENERAL AVIATION FUEL. SINCE INITIATING LEGAL ACTION AGAINST FIVE COMPANIES UNDER FEDERAL TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (TSCA)S CHEMICAL DATA REPORTING (CRD) PROVISION, WE HAVE REACHED SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS WITH TWO AND ARE IN ACTIVE TALKS WITH TWO MORE. THESE LARGE CHEMICAL COMPANIES IMPORTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF CHEMICALS WITHOUT REPORTING TO THE EPA.

SHIFTED THE MARKET AWAY FROM HARMFUL ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS (EDCS) IN FOOD:TESTED FOODWARE FOR HARMFUL FLUORINATED CHEMICALS, ADDING 31 ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO OUR POPULAR WEB-BASED DATABASE, BRINGING DATABASE TOTAL TO 342 DISPOSABLE FOOD CONTAINERS. PILOTED K-12 SCHOOL LESSONS ON FOODWARE TOXICITY, WASTE AUDITS, AND ACTION PROJECTS FOR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM WITH SCHOOL FOODWARE AND TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM THAT SERVES THEM. AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, WE HAVE STUDENTS WRITING PERSUASIVE LETTERS TO THE NUTRITION DEPARTMENTS REQUESTING HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES FOR FOODWARE.RELEASED OUR DITCHING DISPOSABLES TOOLKIT FOR K-12 SCHOOLS WHICH PROVIDES EDUCATION ON WHAT TOXIC CHEMICALS EXIST IN FOODWARE, CONCRETE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO IDENTIFY AND CHOOSE HEALTHIER OPTIONS, AND ACTIONABLE STEPS THAT K-12 SCHOOLS CAN TAKE TO SWITCH TO REUSABLES. THE TOOLKIT WAS RELEASED ALONG WITH A WEBINAR THAT REACHED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE FROM SCHOOLS DISTRICTS AND ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE NATION.LAUNCHED THE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND GREENSCREEN CERTIFIED STANDARD FOR FOOD SERVICE WARE. THE GROUNDBREAKING CERTIFICATION SETS A NEW SAFETY STANDARD FOR EVERYDAY FOODWARE ITEMS LIKE DISPOSABLE PLATES AND BOWLS THAT DO NOT CONTAIN PFAS FOREVER CHEMICALS, PLUS THOUSANDS OF OTHER CHEMICALS OF CONCERN.CREATED A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH CLEARYA, A CHROME EXTENSION AND MOBILE APP THAT HELPS PEOPLE MAKE HEALTHIER CHOICES WHEN SHOPPING ONLINE WITH BIG RETAILERS. CEHS TEST DATA, INDICATING LIKELY PFAS USE IN FOOD SERVICEWARE PRODUCTS, WILL NOW SEAMLESSLY APPEAR ALONGSIDE PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS AS CONSUMERS SHOP ON FAMILIAR WEBSITES.