Drinking water for over 117 million Americans is at risk.

For much of the last decade, Clean Water Action has worked to restore Clean Water Act protections for many water bodies. In the wake of confusing Supreme Court decisions, the previous Administration gave in to special interest pressure and instituted policies that threaten many of the streams and wetlands which affect drinking water sources and which filter pollution and prevent flooding.

Ask your Representative to Co-Sponsor HR2359, the Safe Cosmetics Act!

Did you know right now in the U.S. it's perfectly legal for there to be lead in lipstick and carcinogens in baby shampoo?  Some of these chemicals don't even appear on product labels. This bill (H.R. 2359) would give the Food and Drug Administration the authority it needs to ensure that personal care products are free of harmful substances like lead, 1,4-dioxane and chemicals linked to cancer.

On June 20, the Prince George’s County Transportation, Housing, and Environment Committee (T.H.E) passed legislation to improve management of stormwater and reduce pollution coming from streets and parking lots into the County’s streams. The bill, CB-15, passed by a 4-0 margin, with Councilmember Toles abstaining.  CB-15 included amendments that improved the bill – but it didn’t go far enough. It does not require developers to retain at least the first 1 inch of storm water runoff from redevelopments beginning this year. Instead, it takes a phased approach, beginning with a half-inch requirement this year, three-quarters in 2016, and a full inch only in 2020. Our communities deserve more immediate action.

A Few weeks ago Governor O’Malley was ready to sign SB690, legislation that will let waste-to-energy ‘WTE’ incinerators be considered a top tier source of renewable energy. Senate bill 690, which barely passed, if signed into law, will give the dirty incinerator industry hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars in energy credits. Now the Governor is reconsidering this legislation, but he needs to hear from you!

Following the end of session in April, Clean Water Action, environment and public health organizations, along with members like you, quickly organized a veto campaign asking the Governor not to sign the bill. The Governor has already received letters from nonprofit organizations, state legislators and thousands of Maryland citizens urging him to veto the bill. A well balanced article in the Washington Post asked, “Just how green is garbage?" and editorials in the Baltimore Sun and other local papers have also taken positions against the bill.

The law that is supposed to protect us from the health effects caused by toxic chemicals is not working.

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) does not prevent us from being exposed, every day, to chemicals like formaldehyde, lead, and asbestos. These are cancer-causing chemicals and also result in reproductive problems and many other diseases.

For more information visit Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families