News & Press
Federal study highlights corrosive potential of Maine groundwater
Tests by the U.S. Geological Survey show that Maine households could be at a higher risk of exposure to harmful levels of lead or other metals, depending on the age of their plumbing systems. Strategy Center Executive Director Mike Belliveau is quoted throughout this article, which highlights the importance of water testing for homeowners, especially those… Read more »
Federal Toxics Law Updated for the First Time in 40 Years
(AUGUSTA) With the long-awaited legislation to overhaul the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 finally in place, Maine public health advocates are looking ahead to a state-federal partnership in protecting children, workers, and pregnant women from dangerous chemicals. Public health leaders from the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine say the law signed… Read more »
Time running out for Maine to cash in on ‘biobased’ products, advocates say
Leaders at a forum Friday urged the state to get more proactive about creating sustainable products from its rich resources, including 17 million acres of trees. As Maine’s forest products industry continues to falter, global demand is skyrocketing for new products created from breaking down wood and other plant matter into their constituent sugars and… Read more »
Handcuffs Finally Off EPA: Mike Belliveau Statement on Final TSCA Legislation
By voice vote Tuesday, June 7, 2016, the United States Senate approved final legislation to overhaul the badly broken federal chemical safety law known as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976. Michael Belliveau, Executive Director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, and a leader in the national TSCA reform campaign over the last… Read more »
Report: Dozens of Products in Maine Contain Phthalates
For the first time, manufacturers who use hormone-disrupting chemicals known as phthalates in their products have reported their use to the state of Maine. A new report released Thursdayby the Environmental Health Strategy Center reveals that phthalates are in more household items than previously thought. Read and listen to the full story here.
State filings show 130 products sold in Maine contain controversial chemical
A chemical suspected of causing health problems is found in 130 products sold in Maine, from hair conditioner to greeting cards, according to a new analysis of manufacturers’ data filed with state regulators. Read the full story here.
Maine Citizen-Led Effort Results in First-Ever Reporting of Toxic Phthalates
Maine is at the center of a new national report on hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates. What Stinks? Toxic Phthalates in Your Home, presents recently-disclosed information showing that hormone-disrupting chemicals are used in a broader range of household products than previously known. Thanks to Maine activists, manufacturers of paints and cleaning products available across the country… Read more »
The Consumer Game of Whack-a-Mole with Chemical Dangers
“The issues and regulation of BPA and its replacements are the story of the failed chemical safety system,” says former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree, the lead sponsor of the state’s first-in-the-nation Kids-Safe Products Act. “We weren’t wrong to try to phase out certain flame retardants or BPA, given their health impacts. But that the… Read more »
BPA Found in a Majority of Canned Foods
This television news report by WCSH6 reporter Chris Rose features Maine moms and an Environmental Health Strategy Center staff member.
Grant by Bangor Savings Bank Foundation an Investment in Biobased Manufacturing
BANGOR, Maine, April 5, 2016–The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation has awarded the Environmental Health Strategy Center a $15,000 grant to help develop a ”roadmap” for attracting investment in new Maine manufacturing that can help meet the rising global demand for renewable, petroleum-free raw materials and consumer products. “This grant award from our Foundation to Environmental Health Strategy Center signifies… Read more »