News & Press
Canada Acts on PFAS, Officials Indicate Movement Away from Toxic Sludge Spreading on Farmland
On Friday, Radio Canada reported that Quebec’s Minister for the Environment and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have expressed concerns about the use of sludge on farmland. The article concludes that Environment Minister Benoit Charrette has promised to tighten regulations around sludge application. Sighting the precautionary principal and the need to act quickly to protect farmland and… Read more »
Number one plastic polluter prize goes to Coca-Cola for fifth straight year
This week, the Coca-Cola Company was named the world’s biggest plastic polluter for the fifth year in a row in Break Free From Plastic’s Brand Audit report. The annual Brand Audit is a global community science project that analyzes plastic waste by over 200,000 volunteers in 87 countries and territories. The effort has found the… Read more »
Defend’s Director of Advocacy Response to Maine DEP PFAS Extension
This week, the state gave a six-month extension to an extensive list of more than 1,000 companies on the PFAS in products reporting deadline. Last year, a Maine law was passed requiring all companies to report whether or not their products contain PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ starting Jan. 1, 2023, but the Maine DEP has chosen to ignore Maine… Read more »
International Public Health Coalition Calls on Coca-Cola to Remove Cancer-Causing Chemicals from Its Plastic Bottles
Coalition demands Coca-Cola require its suppliers end the use of any antimony and cobalt compounds as processing aids or additives in its PET plastic bottles by the end of this year. More than 50 organizations including environmental justice leaders, children’s health advocates, plastic pollution activists, learning disabilities organizations and professionals, and environmental health experts from… Read more »
Biggest global brands use more virgin petrochemical plastic, missing their own targets
Today, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation released its fourth annual Global Commitment 2022 report, demonstrating that companies comprising 20% of the world’s producers of plastic packaging will miss their own 2025 targets for a circular economy. The report shows an overall increase in virgin plastic use by signatories in 2021 and a decrease in reusable plastic… Read more »
Maine-Based Coalition Calls for Action from the DEP on PFAS
A broad coalition of Maine farms, environmental nonprofits, wastewater treatment districts, tribal representatives, and religious leaders sent a letter calling on the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to reject the request put forward by an industry group dominated by out-of-state manufacturers asking for a blanket delay in reporting requirements under LD1503, An Act to Stop Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution.… Read more »
Giant Petrochemical Plastic Consumer, Coca-Cola, Sponsors COP27
Ahead of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27), the Egyptian government announced its sponsorship by the Coca-Cola company. Egypt is hosting the annual conference in Sharm-El Sheikh, from November 6-18, 2022. In response, Defend Our Health’s Senior Market Campaigner, Maya Rommwatt, said: “There’s absolutely no reason why COP27 should be sponsored by Coca-Cola,… Read more »
Defend Our Health Announces 2022 Environmental Health Leadership Awards
Awards presented to grassroots leaders, impacted farmers, Maine legislators, and environmental justice leaders Portland, Maine – On Sunday, Defend Our Health hosted community members and environmental health and justice leaders from across Maine at Broadturn Farm in Scarborough to present their annual environmental health leadership awards. This year’s award winners were selected for being outstanding members of… Read more »
EPA Puts Manufacturers of Toxic “Forever Chemicals” on Notice by Proposing PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances
Defend Our Health celebrates new regulation and calls on EPA to extend its reach on PFAS The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made history today by proposing classifying PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), popularly known as the Superfund Law. This would be the first time in the… Read more »
Coca-Cola to take the “green” out of plastic bottles, but not the toxic chemicals
Coca-Cola & Pepsi ignore the health impacts and environmental injustice of its plastic bottles, while scrambling to recycle more of the 70 billion that are wasted every year in the U.S. The Coca-Cola Company recently announced plans to change its Sprite brand from green plastic bottles to clear plastic so that more can be recycled… Read more »