News & Press
EPA takes first steps to regulate highly dangerous chemical used to make plastic
Washington D.C.–Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that the chemical vinyl chloride is a candidate for high-priority designation under the Toxic Control Substances Act (TSCA). The announcement sets into motion a years-long process that could culminate in the designation of vinyl chloride as a high-priority chemical under TSCA. The first step in the process is… Read more »
Diane Wilson, Fourth-Generation Shrimper, Protests Plastic Pollution – Goldman Environmental Prize Winner from Texas Speaks in Maine
Diane Wilson, an acclaimed author, fisherwoman and activist arrives in Maine today to speak out against petrochemical plastic pollution at two Maine events, just as the next round of negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty to end plastic pollution in Nairobi, Kenya. Wilson is the director and founder of Calhoun County Resource Watch and the executive director of San… Read more »
Plastics packaging continues to balloon, despite company commitments
Today, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation released its fifth annual Global Commitment 2023 report, showing that signatories of the commitment will miss their own 2025 targets. The report illustrates how in 2022 Global Commitment signatories failed to bring down virgin plastic use meaningfully, and have not made significant progress to expand reuse systems. In response, Defend… Read more »
Defend Our Health Calls for More from Coca-Cola
This week, the Coca-Cola Company announced a temporary program that will give customers free pizza and a plastic bottled Coca-Cola beverage, in return for their depositing empty plastic bottles, in select markets. The scheme purports to increase awareness of the company’s new 100% recycled PET bottles, also available only in select markets at this point,… Read more »
“Everywhere chemicals” in organic products, conventional products, baby formula – unsafe supply chain
Chemicals known to harm pregnant women and children were found in cheese powders, formula, milk and cooking oils What happened to Annie’s former commitment to eliminate phthalates that may be present in food packaging materials and food processing equipment? Portland, ME — A new scientific report co-authored by Defend Our Health and published in the Journal of Exposure Science and… Read more »
Federal government concludes that common plastic endangers human health
U.S. EPA finds that the production of PET plastic poses an “unreasonable risk” to workers and fenceline communities from release of cancer-causing 1,4-dioxane PET plastic use for beverage bottles and polyester clothing must be phased out This week a panel of independent scientists began review of a draft supplemental risk evaluation prepared by the U.S.… Read more »
More than 350 farms potentially contaminated by PFAS identified by Department of Defense
The Department of Defense just announced that it has informed 367 new farms about potential forever chemical contamination in the last year. The farms are located near military bases where PFAS-laden firefighting foam has accumulated in the soil and groundwater after decades of use on military bases. The contaminated groundwater poses a severe exposure risk for… Read more »
Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Plastic Beverage Bottles
Non-profit identifies beverage brand owners using chemical catalyst that may increase risk of cancers, heart disease, and other organ toxicity used in the production of PET plastic Portland, ME — New “Detox the Bottle” beverage pledge challenged beverage brands with two simple questions: Are they willing to learn more about safer alternatives to antimony and cobalt as catalysts… Read more »
Defend Our Health Celebrates Maine’s PFAS Fund Administration Plan
Defend Our Health is applauding the approval of Maine’s plan to provide crucial services to people dealing with ‘forever chemical’ exposure near historic sludge spreading sites. PFAS chemicals bioaccumulate in the human body, where they can linger for decades. They have been linked to a host of illnesses including liver disease and kidney cancer. The new administration… Read more »
Defend Our Health Condemns LD 2004 Veto Override Failure in Maine
Defend Our Health is profoundly disappointed with the Maine legislature’s failure to override Governor Janet Mills’ veto of LD 2004, “An Act to Restore Access to Federal laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations,” which would have put the Wabanaki Tribes in Maine on the same footing as other federally recognized Tribes. Defend Our Health’s vice… Read more »