News & Press
Defend Our Health Statement on Maine CDC Response to Release of Sludge in Lisbon Drinking Water
Today, the Maine CDC rapidly responded to the release of sludge and arsenic contamination in the Lisbon Public Drinking Water System. In response, Defend Our Health’s President and CEO, Emily Carey Perez de Alejo, stated: “While Mainers may be familiar with wastewater sludge (“biosolids”) contaminated with PFAS that were historically spread on Maine’s farmland and have caused… Read more »
Defend Our Health Statement on Chevron Deference
On Friday, June 28th, the United States Supreme Court overturned the 40-year-old legal doctrine referred to as the Chevron deference. The doctrine gave latitude to federal agencies in wide-ranging technical matters left ambiguous by Congressional legislation. In response, Defend Our Health’s Director of Campaigns and Programs, Maya Rommwatt, stated: “The gutting of the Chevron deference… Read more »
Popular Digital Tool Helps Consumers Avoid Products with Toxic Chemicals with Environmental Health Nonprofit Partner
Defend Our Health data on PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ is now available to consumers via Clearya tool Portland, ME—As leaders in the national fight against toxic PFAS “forever chemical” contamination, Defend Our Health, an environmental health advocacy organization, is proud to announce a significant collaboration and partnership with Clearya. This free, innovative digital tool now alerts consumers to undisclosed PFAS in products… Read more »
Defend Our Health Statement on Governor Mill’s Veto of LD 2135
On April 23rd, Governor Janet Mills vetoed LD 2135, a bill designed to carefully manage Maine’s limited landfill capacity and protect Mainers from ongoing PFAS exposure. The bill, titled “Resolve, Regarding the Operation and Future Capacity of State-owned Landfills,” would have allowed for a competitive bidding process to select the next manager of the Juniper Ridge… Read more »
Defend Our Health Applauds EPA’s Designation of PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances Under the Federal Superfund Law
Washington D.C – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized rules under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), more commonly known as the Superfund law, to help ensure that companies that are responsible for contamination will be responsible for the costs of cleaning up contamination of dangerous PFAS chemicals. The EPA’s designation of… Read more »
Defend Our Health Applauds The New EPA Standards for PFAS in Drinking Water
The new standards will protect thousands of Mainers Defend Our Health applauds the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of a first-ever national safe drinking water standard for PFAS. The new health-protective standards are significantly lower than Maine’s interim 20 parts per trillion (ppt) PFAS standard and will extend further protection to more than 134,000 Mainers… Read more »
More ‘Forever Chemicals’ Reported in Products Sold in Maine
Advocates Decry Industry Lobbying to Repeal Most of Maine PFAS Products Law Portland, Maine – Bic razors, Sterno canned heat, Barbour jackets, and Epic Designers work pants and vests – these are a few of the thousands of brand name products sold in Maine that contain PFAS – the ‘forever chemicals’ that have widely polluted drinking… Read more »
Defend Our Health welcomes new President and CEO
Portland, ME, January 23, 2024 – Defend Our Health is proud to announce the hiring of Emily Carey Perez de Alejo as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the nonprofit public health and social justice organization. The organization’s founder and outgoing executive director, Mike Belliveau, will move into a new staff role as Founder and Senior… Read more »
Serious Disease Burden Attributed to Plastics, New Study Says
50 thousand early deaths, 4 million cases of obesity, and 30 thousand intellectual disabilities among the harms caused every year by plastics, resulting in $250 billion in health care costs Widely used plastics are making Americans sick, disabled and die early, according to a new peer-reviewed scientific study published today in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. A… Read more »
PFAS Use Widespread in Products Sold in Maine, Industry Reports Reveal
First-Ever Reports Reveal Use of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Many Common Consumer Products Hair spray, shampoo, cosmetics, school supplies, swim suits, gloves, dog treats, and cookware are among the nearly 1,000 brand-name products sold in Maine that contain PFAS, according to a first-ever analysis of industry reports submitted last year under a Maine law passed in… Read more »