Center for Environmental Health

Other Program Accomplishments:CEH has also been a primary defender of Californias Proposition 65 (Prop 65). We have used this state law to educate consumers and local community organizations about their right-to-know what is in the products they buy, and we continue to strengthen the support around defending it, including successfully opposing AB 2743. CEH has supported multiple Federal bills that would address toxic PFAS in products, as well as two California bills that would track all PFAS imports into the state (AB 2247) and ban PFAS chemicals in cosmetics (AB 2771). CEH reached over 100,000 people through our Prop 65 and other right-to-know communications with over 250 social media posts and 15 blog articles.CEH supported 30 State and Federal bills and signed onto 120 letters applying guidance and pressure on regulatory agencies for community-based rulemaking, including a letter to EPA urging them to designate two PFAS, PFOS and PFOA, as hazardous substances which the agency is now in the process of granting.CEH and our allies across the country raised awareness of the myths and harms of so-called chemical recycling. We used a range of strategies to block its buildout, prevent efforts to deregulate this practice, ensure these facilities are not eligible for green energy incentives, and emphasize the importance of upstream solutions to the plastic waste crisis.

Shifted the Market Away from Harmful Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) in Food:Since our launch of the first-of-its-kind GreenScreen Certified Standard for Food Service Ware. The groundbreaking certification has set a new safety standard for everyday foodware items like disposable plates and bowls that do not contain per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) forever chemicals, plus thousands of other chemicals of concern. Two manufacturers have certified 48 of their foodware products to CEH and CPAs GreenScreen Certification for safer single-use foodware and promoted the certifications to 11 healthcare institutions nationwide.CEH audited the reusables infrastructure for Alameda County schools with 12 of the 18 districts being assessed for ease of adoption. CEH saw an increase in the number of views of our online interactive Ditching Disposables Toolkit for K-12 schools, the number of people who receive our toolkit at approximately 2500 recipients, and the number of people who attended our webinars/conferences at approximately 520 attendees. This important tool helps purchasers and individuals know what is in the foodware products they purchase and be able to make healthier choices. CEH informed and provided resources to approximately 2,900 people from various targeted sectors about the health impacts of toxic chemicals in foodware. CEH tested 31 fiber-based products for PFAS and added them to our publicly accessible foodware database and had 70 webpage views of our database this year.

Litigated to Protect People from Toxic Chemicals and Heavy Metals:CEH initiated legal action against the largest U.S. fluorinator of plastic containers, encouraged scientific testing that identified PFAS in fluorinated plastic, and compelled EPA to take action. CEH and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) filed a lawsuit in federal court against Inhance Technologies for generating toxic PFAS when fluorinating plastic containers in violation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).CEH made progress in our BPA in clothing campaign by building the case for companies to improve manufacturing processes and reformulate their products to ensure BPA is eliminated. CEH filed suit against seven brands of sports bras and five brands of athletic shirts after testing showed that the clothing could expose individuals to up to 22 times the safe limit of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), according to California law. Additionally, CEH sent legal notices to approximately 100 companies after extensive testing showed their socks made for babies, children, and adults could expose someone to up to 31 times the safe limit of the chemical BPA, according to California law. CEH is committed to supporting the local efforts of community leaders to defend against unsafe toxic exposures in their communities. So, when government regulators failed to adequately respond to East Oakland residents concerns about the cancer-causing diesel engine exhaust coming from Green Sages nine trailer-sized generators, CEH and the Environmental Democracy Project (EDP) partnered with the Oakland Cannery Collective (the Collective), the resident group that had been advocating on the issue, to take legal action. We forced the illegal, polluting generators to be removed and protected local air quality in this community.