28 results for tag: toxics
Summer Heat, OR OSHA’s Heat and Smoke Rules, and the Right to Refuse Dangerous Work
OEC is advocating for the strong rollout of Oregon’s new Right to Refuse Dangerous Work law which was signed by the Governor in May of 2023.
Huge Wins for Public Health! Oregon Lawmakers Act to Keep Toxic Chemicals Out of Cosmetics and Kids’ Products
In a resounding victory for the health and well-being of Oregonians, Oregon Environmental Council and coalition partners successfully advocated for the passage of two crucial environmental health bills in the 2023 legislative session.
The Right to Refuse Dangerous Work: Another Victory for Worker Safety in a Warming Climate
As advocates for farmworkers, who endure intense manual labor in hazardous conditions such as pesticides, extreme heat, and smoke, PCUN recognizes SB 907 as a crucial stride towards safeguarding their well-being.
Prioritizing Children’s Health in Kid’s Products
Toxic chemicals that harm health should not be in our kids' products. But they are.
Thousands of chemicals lurk in products our kids use every day and children are far more vulnerable to toxics than adults due to their smaller size and developing organs. Even worse, the most recent studies show that new chemical compounds are produced at a rate of 10 million per year, which translates to nearly 1,000 new chemicals synthesized every hour. In 2015, OEC led the advocacy work to pass the historic Toxic Free Kids Act (TFKA), requiring manufacturers of children’s products to disclose — and eventually phase out — the worst chemicals of concern for ...
Personal Care Products Should Not Be Toxic
Updated on January 23, 2023
Consumers want to believe that their favorite brands of makeup, toiletries, and other personal care products are safe. But in reality, most of these products contain unregulated chemicals known to be toxic when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. It is estimated that there are over 10,000 chemicals in the beauty market today.
OEC conducted a survey amongst university women in 2011 (“What’s in My Makeup Bag?”) and concluded that, at that time, the average woman in Oregon was using about 10 different products a day. Unfortunately, due to beauty standards in the age of social media, that number has only ...
UPDATE: Victory! Judge dismisses Oregon Toxic Free Kids Act Litigation
As we reported at the start of the new year (see below), American Apparel, the Toy Association, and its member coalition- Safe to Play, had filed a lawsuit during the week of Christmas, claiming that Oregon’s Toxic Free Kids Act (TFKA) is preempted based on the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) and Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA).
Thankfully earlier this summer, the federal district court in Portland, Oregon dismissed the toy industry's lawsuit. Specifically, Judge Simon held that at least 69 chemicals regulated in Oregon’s Toxic Free Kids Act are not even addressed in the federal statutes. Therefore, the Toxic Free Kids Act is not ...
Grinchlike behavior: Toy Association delivers lawsuit against safer toys just in time for the New Year
In one of the most Grinch-like moves of 2021, American Apparel, the Toy Association, and its member coalition- Safe to Play, filed a lawsuit during the week of Christmas, in an effort to ensure that they can continue delivering toxic toys to Oregon kids. They claim that the final rules of Oregon’s Toxic Free Kids Act (TFKA) is preempted based on the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) and Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), and that compliance with phaseouts, especially if they have to pay the fees to apply for waivers, will cause them “irreparable harm.”
This move came six and a half years after TFKA was enacted, and over 9 months ...
We’ve Got Receipts! Retailers Respond to Consumer Demands for Safer Shopping
The 5th annual Mind the Store Report Card provides evidence of success; retailers are responding to consumer demands; Wendy’s announces the phaseout of PFAS in food packaging.
If Our Government Won’t Regulate Toxic Chemicals, It Is Up to Consumer Behavior and Retailers to Drive Change
New Report Reveals Top Retailers Making Major Chemical Safety Advances
A new report released this week by Oregon Environmental Council’s partner Safer Chemicals Healthy Families reveals that many of our nation’s top retailers are voluntarily embracing safer chemical policies to help protect consumers from hazardous chemicals in products.
The fourth annual Who’s Minding the Store? A Report Card on Retailer Actions to Eliminate Toxic Chemicals evaluated and graded the chemical policies and practices of 43 retail chains ranging from Starbucks to Lowes, with more than 190,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, as part of Safer Chemicals Healthy ...
Tell McDonald’s: Time to Take off the Toxic Gloves
With great market power comes great responsibility for customers' health.
This summer Oregon Environmental Council helped gather samples for a research report that finds that some vinyl, or PVC, food service gloves contain toxic chemicals called phthalates (THAL-eights) that can leach into food—and some gloves from McDonald’s tested positive for these harmful chemicals.
We’re joining with our partner groups across the nation in calling on McDonald’s, the top restaurant in the U.S., to be a market leader and switch away from using PVC gloves—the only way to ensure that food service gloves won’t contaminate diners’ meals with toxic ...