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Clean Water Action's national campaigns work on Federal laws and policy. State offices campaign on the same issues locally. Get more information about our work in each state and around the country.
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environmental health
Tell Your Senators: Don't Vote to Weaken the Clean Air Act!
Don't let the Senate stall progress! Tell them we need strong legislation on climate and energy, not attacks on the Clean Air Act.
Your U.S. Senators could be asked to vote soon on an amendment that could take away the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to enforce the Clean Air Act. Late last year, EPA announced that global warming emissions represent a danger to public health just like other forms of air pollution, and that the Clean Air Act needs to be put into action to reduce this pollution.
Clean Water Action is working to strengthen and defend our important laws that protect public health and the environment...but we can't do it without your help.
The science is clear: climate change has already begun to devastate our water resources, and we must act now to head off the worst impacts on public health, on water and other natural resources, and on our economy. Some U.S. Senators and industry lobbyists want to undermine the Clean Air Act. This is a dangerous precedent and flies in the face of what science tells us our government needs to do right now.
Ripple Effects
Minnesotan’s Stories on our Environment and Health
How do new threats to our water and health impact Minnesotan’s lives and communities? In Ripple Effects, Minnesotans share their personal stories on how global problems such as climate change, toxic chemicals and polluted waters are being experienced locally.
Below is a sample of the stories covered in this project. To find additional stories about a particular issue, click on the issue links below.
Vicki Hendricksen: Distrust of Drinking Water
Many Minnesotans pour themselves a glass of water from their kitchen faucet without a second thought. However, more and more people are becoming concerned about the safety of their drinking water.
“I don’t trust our water,” states Vicki Hendricksen, a Woodbury mom of three, “we get all our water for drinking and cooking from our fridge because it’s filtered.” When Vicki moved to Woodbury two years ago to be closer to work, she learned the city’s water was contaminated with PFCs— chemicals used in non-stick pans, stain resistant clothing, and thousands of other products. Even though the level of PFCs in Woodbury’s water is considered to be at safe levels according to the state, Vicki has her doubts. “I wonder if the level they set is really acceptable—will this change years later when they learn more?”
Read the full story and see the video here
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To share your story, email us at mncwa@cleanwater.org.
Rocket Fuel in California Drinking Water? Take action now!
The drinking water of between 15 and 20 million Californians is contaminated with perchlorate, a salt that is used as the primary component of solid rocket fuel.
Perchlorate poses a health threat by impacting the thyroid's ability to take up iodide and produce thyroid hormone. Even a short term reduction in thyroid hormone can irreparably impair brain development in fetuses and infants, and impact iodide deficient individuals and those already with thyroid problems.
Despite these serious health impacts, there is no federal drinking water standard for perchlorate thanks to pressure from the White House and polluters such as the Department of Defense.
Take action now: Tell Governor Schwarzenegger that we do not want rocket fuel in our drinking water and that we support lowering the perchlorate public health goal.
Clean Water Action Campaign Victories in Connecticut
Since 1998, Clean Water Action has won a number of legislative and regulatory victories.
2008
Lead Levels in Children's Products Restricted
Clean Water Action and allies in the Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Connecticut turned back intense opposition from big chemical companies, the toy industry, and dozens of in-state retailers and recently won new legislation to phase out toxic lead and asbestos in children's products.
Earth Day Breakfast of Champions
04/30/2010 - 09:00
04/30/2010 - 10:30
Etc/GMT
Location(s)
Pawtuxet Village, RI
Come to Clean Water Action and Ocean State Action's Eighth Annual Breakfast of Champions!
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When: Friday, April 30 2010 9:00am-10:30am
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Where: Aspray Boathouse, Pawtuxet Village
At the event, we will celebrate the achievements of Rhode Island’s environmental leaders of 2009, eat a delicious breakfast provided by Meals on Wheels, and enjoy the MC skills of our friend Bob Walsh from the National Education Association of Rhode Island.
This year's Earth Day Champions include:
Contact Name:
Nicole Poepping, Campaign Organizer
Contact Email:
Make manufacturers responsible for electronic waste
Discarded electronics (“e-waste”) is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the industrialized world. Electronic equipment is also one of the largest know sources of heavy metals, like lead and mercury, and toxic pollutants in the waste stream. In Massachusetts hundreds of thousands of pounds of e-waste is discarded every year. Much of it winds up in our cities and landfills and that that is recycled costs our cities and towns millions of dollars. Write to your Massachusetts State Representative and ask him/her to pass the Electronic Waste Takeback Bill to require manufacturers to be responsible for collecting and recycling or reusing the electronic waste that they produce.
Everglades for All
In March 2010, Clean Water Fund released Everglades for All.
Over 1,500 Florida residents participated in our survey which was intended to get a pulse on how the public and diverse constituency groups feel about ongoing outreach and historic Everglades restoration efforts.
This survey revealed new opportunities for relationship building and will hopefully increase public input on key decisions in Everglades restoration.
Abstract:
Over 1,500 Florida residents participated in our survey which was intended to get a pulse on how the public and diverse constituency groups feel about ongoing outreach and historic Everglades restoration efforts.
Tell the EPA to Keep Stormwater Out of DC's Rivers
What is the greatest threat polluting the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers? The answer may surprise you. It is not industrial waste or piles of trash.
It's stormwater runoff.
Unfortunately, this problem often goes unnoticed for the simple fact that we can't see it. During rain storms (or when our recent dumping of snow melts) water rushes off all of our paved surfaces taking all of the untreated oil, sediment, trash and other pollutants into our sewer system which empty directly into the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.
Unlike the pollution that can more easily be controlled from a single source (waste discharged from an industrial building or construction site) stormwater management is more difficult to control and thus requires a comprehensive solution.
The problem in the District is that two-thirds of the existing pipe system combines sewage waste with rain water in the same pipe. When there is a heavy rainstorm these pipes are maxed out and what results is combined sewer overflow (CSO) or more simply, raw sewage and waste overflow untreated directly into the Anacostia River. Take action now: Ask EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to issue the strongest permit possible for DC.
Governor asks health officials to consider banning some products with BPA
Governor Deval Patrick has asked state health officials to look into a limited ban of bisphenol A, a chemical found in food and drink containers that the state last summer warned parents of young children to avoid.
"We are disappointed that the Governor's starting point for this process does not address the contamination of baby formula from BPA cans as well as other products for which there are safer alternatives," [Lee Ketelsen co-director of Clean Water Action] said in a statement. "Connecticut has passed into law a phase-out of products with safer alternatives on the market and we urge Massachusetts to match the health protective standard of our neighboring state."
Published Date:
03/02/2010
News Source:
