News & Press
Statement from Defend Our Health’s Deputy Director, Patrick MacRoy, on the US FDA’s May 19, 2022 decision to reject petitions to ban phthalates:
“The US FDA’s continued allowance of phthalates in food packaging flies in the face of good science and provides further demonstration that the agency is simply unwilling to fulfill its duty to protect our food from unsafe contaminants. It defies all reasonableness that chemicals banned over a decade ago from toys because of the harm… Read more »
Defend’s Executive Director Statement on Maine DEP’s Action on Phthalates Ban
Statement from Michael Belliveau, Executive Director, Defend Our Health, in response to Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s official letters to the corporations found in violation of Maine law banning phthalates in food packaging effective January 1, 2022 following Defend Our Health’s letter to Maine Attorney General Frey urging Frey to enforce the ban on chemicals in food packaging: “We… Read more »
Toxic Food Packaging Sold in Violation of Maine Law by Two Corporations
Maine Attorney General Asked to Take Legal Action Against Goya Foods & Constellation Brands Portland, Maine — Today, a nationally recognized public health organization is demanding that Maine enforce state law and take action against two major multinational food and beverage brands that the organization says it can prove are in violation. Defend Our Health has… Read more »
Defend Our Health Applauds Maine Legislature for Passage of Bill Giving Maine Households Access to Clean Water
Augusta, Maine, April 26 – The legislature voted yesterday to pass a bill that will help ensure that all Mainers, regardless of income, have access to safe drinking water by funding residential well testing and remediation. This is an incredibly important step in Maine as a higher proportion of Mainers get their water from wells than… Read more »
In National First, Maine’s Legislature Votes to Ban Spreading of PFAS Laden Sludge and Compost Derived from Sludge
Augusta, Maine, April 15 – The legislature voted overwhelmingly today to end the use of industrial and municipal sewage sludge as fertilizer. This sludge was the source of widespread contamination from PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in the state that has forced family farms to discontinue sales and face financial ruin. It has also poisoned the drinking water… Read more »
Statement from Sarah Woodbury, Defend Director of Advocacy, in response to press conference hosted by Casella Waste Systems on LD 1911:
The choice before us on LD 1911 could not be clearer: Do we finally stop spreading contaminated waste on farmland, in gardens, and on landscaping, a practice that has ruined family farms, continues to threaten health, and will cost the state millions upon millions to clean up? Or do we allow the companies that have… Read more »
Farmers and Groups Urge Support for LD 1911
Maine State House, Augusta, ME – Impacted farmers and a coalition of groups held a press conference outside the State House in Augusta today to urge passage of LD 1911– An Act To Prohibit the Contamination of Clean Soils with So-called Forever Chemicals sponsored by Rep. Bill Pluecker of Warren. The bill will ban the… Read more »
Sewer Districts, Casella Try to Derail Legislation to Stop Spread of PFAS-contaminated Sludge
Augusta, Maine – Industry interests are working with public sewer districts to distribute questionable information in advance of a legislative committee meeting on Monday to consider a proposal to put an end to the use of PFAS contaminated fertilizer. Multiple sewer districts sent communications to legislators late Friday in opposition to LD 1911 and an amendment… Read more »
Statement from Patrick MacRoy, Defend Deputy Director on Briefing from Maine DEP to the ENR Committee:
“We appreciate the DEP’s efforts to implement the soil and water testing mandated by LD 1600 passed last year. However, the state continues to have much work to do in order to address the PFAS crisis. We must turn off the tap of PFAS continuing to enter the environment that is adding to the burden… Read more »
People of Color Must Be Protected from Toxic Phthalates, Groups Say
Feds Must Assess Cumulative Impacts from All Sources of Chemical Exposure In comments submitted on December 8th, four public health and environmental justice organizations called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to formally designate people of color as a vulnerable population that must be protected from unreasonable health risks caused by exposure to the plastics-related chemicals… Read more »