Month: October 2017
Honoring Legislative Leadership for Phasing Out Flame Retardants
Legislative Leadership Awards Rep. Walter A. Kumiega III, D-Deer Isle, represents District 134 and led the charge to protect firefighters from harmful chemicals as the sponsor of our law to phase out flame retardants. A self-employed carpenter, Rep. Kumiega has served as chair of the Maine Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee for the past five years.… Read more »
Honoring Legislative Leadership for Safe Drinking Water
Legislative Leadership Award Sen. Joyce A. Maker, R-Washington, represents Senate District 6. A retired College Administrator and Financial Aid Director at Washington County Community College, Sen. Maker served on the Board of Directors for the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) for two terms, including two years as Chairman of the Board. Prior to her… Read more »
Honoring a Science Champion
Science Champion Award Gail Carlson, PhD, assistant professor, Environmental Studies, Colby College. The chair of our Science Advisory Council and a former executive board member at the Strategy Center, Dr. Carlson exemplifies putting science into action. She brought her expertise to key committee hearings of the Maine Legislature several times this session. Her testimony was foundational… Read more »
Honoring an Outstanding Health Professional
The Bettie Kettell Outstanding Health Professional Award Dr. Sydney Sewall, MD, MPH, member of our Science Advisory Council, has been a pediatrician in Maine since 1982. Currently teaching pediatrics at the Maine-Dartmouth Family residency, Dr. Sewall was a past president of the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A member of the… Read more »
Honoring Grassroots Leadership for Safe Drinking Water
Grassroots Leadership Awards Wendy Brennan is a mom of two daughters in Mt. Vernon, Maine. After discovering that her well water contained arsenic at three times the EPA safety limit, Wendy became a safe water champion, speaking out and raising awareness about this silent epidemic in Maine. “A lot of rural families in Maine are struggling… Read more »
Honoring Grassroots Leadership for Phasing Out Flame Retardants
Grassroots Leadership Awards Linda Baker of Topsham is a former Republican state senator and public schoolteacher. Linda is the widow of Skip Baker, a career firefighter—with experience as a volunteer and then later as a professional firefighter—and former fire chief in Topsham, who died 16 years ago. His death was caused by what’s considered the… Read more »
Recognizing Michael Herz, Lifelong Leader for Change
The Environmental Health Strategy Center this year recognizes longtime leader for change Michael Herz, PhD, as the winner of our 2017 Frank Hatch Environmental Health Leadership Award. “In the 30-plus years I’ve known Mike Herz, he’s always demonstrated a passion for a healthier environment, a zeal for citizen science, and an intolerance of wrong-doing of any kind—whether by bureaucrats… Read more »
Halloween Tips to Protect Kids from Scary Chemicals
What’s spookier than ghosts, witches, ghouls, and goblins on Halloween night? Toxic chemicals. Toxic flame retardants, phthalates, and lead may be lurking in some store-bought kids’ costumes, face paints, and decorations. So what’s a parent to do on Halloween? While we fight for stronger chemical safety regulations to make sure all kids are better protected… Read more »
Kraft, Are You Listening?
A few months ago, the news that we discovered toxic chemical phthalates (THAL-eights) in all of the macaroni and cheese powders we tested made headlines across the country. People were outraged: toxic chemicals don’t belong in kids’ food. So tens of thousands of people worldwide have signed our petition calling on Kraft to lead industry-wide… Read more »