Opportunity in the Year Ahead

The voters have spoken! 

The recent election results were a vote of confidence in government leadership to ensure that all Americans are healthy and thriving. We know that investment in public health protections—including a safe, toxic-free environment—is the best way to keep health care affordable and to prevent diseases, disabilities, and early death.

The electorate also soundly repudiated government leadership that seeks to divide rather than unite us, and that favors petrochemical industry profits over the health and safety of people and the planet.

The mid-term election results have blown wind into our sails.

With the positive energy, grassroots activism, and a new generation of elected leaders, we see great opportunity in the year ahead at both the national and state level.

In 2019, we plan to make significant progress toward ensuring that all Americans have access to safe food and water, toxic-free products, and good climate-friendly jobs:

• Pass a new Maine state law to ensure safe food packaging, free from harmful hormone-disrupting substances like PFAS (toxic nonstick chemicals) and phthalates;
• Pass a Maine state law to create good green jobs and slow climate change through incentives to invest in producing climate-friendly bioproducts from forest residues;
• Work with Governor-elect Mills to enforce the Kid Safe Products Act to ensure that Maine families enjoy only toxic-free consumer products;
• Work with Governor-elect Mills to develop an action plan that finally ensures safe drinking water for every rural Maine family with a household well;
• Ask Congress and the courts to hold the Trump Administration accountable for its failure to enforce federal laws to phase out toxic chemicals in products and our food;
• Work directly with major food brands, grocery stores, and restaurant chains to end their use of PFAS and phthalates in food packaging and food processing.

With your support and your active engagement in telling elected officials and corporate executives what they must do for the health of your family and our planet, we will prevail!