Toxic Chemicals

From before we are born until the time we die, we are repeatedly and regularly exposed to toxic chemicals with the potential to seriously harm our health. Toxic chemicals can be found in our homes, schools and workplaces – in products we use on a daily basis. We're fighting at local, state, and federal levels to fix our chemical laws and find safer alternatives to the chemicals in everyday products.

Minnesota

Let's Protect Kids and Firefighters

In 2015, Minnesota made important progress by banning four of the most toxic flame retardants from our furniture and children’s products, but our work isn’t done. There are many other dangerous flame retardants, and they

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Recent Actions

California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, National, Rhode Island

Tell America’s top retailers: Take action on toxic chemicals in your products!

The third annual Who’s Minding the Store? report card ranks 40 top retailers on their actions on toxic chemicals. Take action and send a message to the CEOs of all 19 retailers that earned Fs in this year’s report card.

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Connecticut

Take action to rid our homes of toxic flame retardants

Contact your legislators today and tell them to pass House Bill 5329, a bill that bans the sale of children’s products and residential upholstered furniture containing toxic flame retardants, this session

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Minnesota

Tell Your Legislator to Protect the health of Children and Firefighters!

Minnesota has made progress in getting some of the most toxic flame retardants out of our furniture and children’s products, but our work isn’t done. Other dangerous flame retardant chemicals still lurk in our households.

Take action!

Rhode Island

Take Action! Urge Legislators to Keep Toxic Chemicals like PFAS out of Food Packaging!

Contact your legislators today to tell them to keep toxic chemicals like PFAS out of our food packaging!

Keep Toxic Chemicals like PFAS out of Food Packaging!

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Press Releases

March 5, 2019

Clean Water Action California Will Call for Comprehensive State Response to PFAS at State Water Board Hearing

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

February 14, 2019

Clean Water Action California Responds to EPA’s PFAS Plan With Call for More Comprehensive Regulation at The State Level

On February 14th, 2019, the EPA announced its “PFAS Action Plan” which follows up on four commitments announced in May but misses numerous opportunities to use EPA authority to address PFAS chemica

Charlie Baker vetoes bill to protect kids and firefighters from toxic flame retardants

BOSTON—Today environmental, public health and worker advocates blasted Governor Charlie Baker for running out the clock on a much watched bill to protect children and firefighters from exposure to toxic flame retardants. Baker’s failure to sign the bill amounts to an automatic veto.

What Do We Need to Do About PFAS in California?

March 22, 2019

They’re in stain resistant carpets and clothing, cookware, some cosmetics, outdoor gear, and even dental floss. You may know them as Teflon®, or Scotchguard®. You have them in your body and they’ve been detected in 455 California drinking water sources thus far. I’m talking about a class of fluorinated chemicals, called PFAS, and they threaten California’s water and its people. Why haven’t we done more about them?

Simmons University Engages Students in Talks about Toxics

March 19, 2019

I’ve learned a lot about the dangers of exposure to toxic chemicals through flame retardants at Clean Water Action. They’re everywhere in our homes: in mattresses, furniture, even children’s toys.

This is a really important issue to be aware of, but there is a real lack of awareness amongst my fellow college students.

Chemicals being mixed in beakers. Photo credit: mediaphotos / Shutterstock

Breaking: PFAS-contaminated milk discovered on Maine farm

March 19, 2019

One piece of this puzzle, however, is crystal clear: the root cause of this problem is the manufacturing and promotion of PFAS by the chemical industry, even though internal documents reveal they knew about its toxicity for decades.