Our Victories

It’s not enough to just fight for our health. We must win the important battles and develop solutions to create real, impactful change. Here are some of the major victories we’ve won in the past two decades.

Victories for safe food

We passed the first and most comprehensive law in the nation that banned toxic phthalates and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from food packaging in Maine in 2019, and other states are already following Maine’s lead.
We’ve won various commitments from major food manufacturers including General Mills and Whole Foods Market to phase out toxic phthalates from their supply chain.
Our organizing and campaigning led the state of Maine to launch the first investigation of PFAS in sewage sludge in the country.

Victories for safe water

In 2017, we helped pass a law creating a $500,000 fund to make sure all families, no matter how much money they make, have access to well water treatment to make sure their water is safe.
That same year, we also helped pass a law that expanded outreach and education on the importance of well water testing and treatment across Maine.
In 2019 and 2020, our executive director Mike Belliveau served on the Maine Governor’s PFAS Task Force, which recommended the state take action to expand water testing, investigate PFAS-contaminated sites and phase out existing uses of PFAS to prevent future pollution.
In 2021, we helped the Maine Legislature pass a law for one of the strictest limits for PFAS in drinking water and a law that will require schools to test drinking water for lead and PFAS, helping to protect children’s developing brains.

Victories for toxic-free products

In 2005, we won legislation that created a lead-poisoning prevention fund for education and outreach programs aimed at reducing lead exposure.
In 2008, we built a winning coalition to achieve the nation’s first law to limit toxic chemicals in children’s products.
In 2017, we overcame strong chemical industry opposition to win a first-in-the-nation law to ban all toxic chemical flame retardants in upholstered household furniture. Other states and municipalities immediately followed suit.
As a founding and leading member of the Mind the Store campaign, we’ve helped win commitments from major retail brands such as Home Depot, Walmart, Sephora, Whole Foods, and others to phase out toxic chemicals used in products sold in their stores.
In 2018, we successfully leveraged grassroots power to defeat the Trump Administration appointment of a chemical industry insider to oversee chemical safety at the U.S. EPA.
In 2021, we helped the Maine Legislature pass a first-in-the-nation law to eliminate toxic PFAS from products we use every day.

Victories to end plastic pollution

In 2010, we won a statewide ban in Maine on toxic BPA (bisphenol-A) from plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, and baby food packaging.
In 2019, Maine policy makers took action against plastic pollution and toxic chemicals in plastic with a ban on single-use plastic bags and food packaging made of polystyrene, a known carcinogen.
In 2020, Maine Governor Janet Mills signed into law the most competitive tax incentive in the nation for the production of renewable chemicals and products, advancing the sustainable manufacturing of biobased products.
In 2021, as part of a high-profile national campaign, we’ve been tagged to lead a project to stop climate-damaging, health-harming production of toxic plastics.