CoPIRG Standing Up To Powerful Interests

Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals

 

What's New

More than one third of the U.S. population suffers from chronic diseases including cancers, asthma, learning and developmental disabilities, birth defects, diabetes, ALS and Parkinson’s disease. Scientific evidence increasingly uncovers links between toxic chemicals and higher rates of these diseases and disorders.  At the same time, our nation has recently experienced a number of explosions and accidents at chemical plants – highlighting the safety and security risks of toxic chemicals.  To address these threats, CoPIRG is advancing policies that would move industry to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives.

 

How You Can Help

Sign our safer alternatives petition
Urge your Representative to support comprehensive chemical security legislation that promotes safer alternatives by signing the petition in our online action center. 

Overview

The soil underneath a local soccer field. The river that runs through the center of your town or city. The air circulating above a factory or industrial complex. All are important components of our environment—and all are extremely vulnerable to toxic contamination.

U.S. PIRG, the federation of state PIRGs, is running many successful campaigns to keep our communities safe. In Massachusetts, we’re championing the Safer Alternatives Initiative, a series of bills aimed at monitoring, reducing and replacing industrial toxics released into the state’s ground, air and water. Elsewhere, in states like Illinois, Connecticut, and Washington, we’re leading state-based campaigns to phase out the release of PBDEs—some of the most toxic byproducts manufactured—into the environment. At the federal level, U.S. PIRG is backing the Kids Safe Chemical Act, a bill that will protect public health by reforming the way our country deals with toxic chemicals.

There is simply no excuse, rationalization or justification adequate to allow our neighborhoods to become polluted by toxic waste. That’s why we’re fighting to make sure our environment is safe, healthy and secure.


 

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