Maine activists seek labeling for hormone-dysrupting chemicals in consumer products

Paige Holmes of Lisbon started a recent blog post by explaining how careful she is, as a consumer, about her family's health:

Every trip to the store involves a careful assessment of what’s coming into my home and into the hands (and mouths) of my two young sons.  I am probably more aware of chemical safety than the average consumer, as I have spent the last several years and transitioning away from goods that are likely to contain harmful chemicals to safer alternatives.  I use glass instead of plastic food containers.  I’ve swapped out the vinyl shower curtain for cloth.  And I am thrilled every time I can see clear evidence that I’m avoiding the dangerous chemicals known to me, like the now common “BPA Free” labels on reusable water bottles.... 

I was one of 25 Mainers who volunteered to be part of a bio-monitoring study of phthalates, a group of hormone-disrupting chemicals that are widely used in consumer products.  We each provided urine samples which were tested for the presence of seven different phthalates.  This week the results were released by the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine in a report titled, “Hormones Disrupted: Toxic Phthalates in Maine People”. 

I had the highest total level of phthalates in my body out of anyone in the group. My levels were higher than levels found in 90% of all Americans tested by the US Centers for Disease Control.

(Read Holmes's blog post, "Careful shopper or not, your body may still be polluted with toxic chemicals.")

Paige Holmes with her two sons

Holmes continues with what this might mean for her family, and what she's trying to do about it:

As a mom with two young sons, the implications of my phthalate levels are really frightening.  I know that these chemicals have adverse health effects on baby boys, including birth defects in male sex organs as well as reduced fertility and increased risk of prostate and testicular cancer later in life.  I also know that phthalate exposure is linked to many of the issues that teachers like my mom and sister are seeing more and more of every day: learning disabilities, behavioral and attention issues, and asthma.... 

Here in Maine, citizens are using the state’s Kid Safe Products Act (2008) to take matters into their own hands. We are now circulating a citizen-led petition that will initiate a rulemaking before the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on the reporting of phthalates in consumer products.The rule would elevate four phthalates to “Priority Chemical” status under Maine’s Kid-Safe Products Act and require manufacturers to report on which of their products sold in Maine contains the priority phthalates. In other words, Mainers are taking action to find out which products contain phthalates.

The Environmental Health Strategy Center of Portland blames Governor LePage for failing to act on this issue. Their recent newsletter states:

While the LePage Administration has stubbornly refused to take meaningful steps to protect families from toxic chemicals under the Kid Safe Products Act, Mainers are taking matters into their own hands. This spring, dozens of activists across the state helped gather signatures to force the LePage Administration to look at the science, and listen to citizens. 

How? Our citizen-initiated rule-making petition will effectively jump-start the regulatory process, calling on the Department of Environmental Protection to use it’s authority under the Kid Safe Products Act to require large manufacturers to disclose their use of toxic phthalates. The Portland Press Herald put it this way in their editorial, "Labeling would help keep toxins away from Maine kids": 

“Mandating the disclosure of phthalates in consumer goods is a minor technical action that could have a major impact.”... 

With our partners in the Alliance for a Clean & Healthy Maine, we’ve collectively gathered a grand-total of 1,693 signatures from 146 towns, representing every county across the state. That’s more than 10 times the minimum number required by the Department of Environmental Protection to initiate a rule-making! But we’ve only just begun. Next month, we’ll gather to at the State House to deliver the petitions in person."

EHSC asks other concerned Mainers to join them at the State House (for details, email EHSC) and to sign on to ask the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to act swiftly to a schedule a public hearing and adopt this common-sense proposal. (Want to help? Sign the petition to the Maine DEP to label phthalates in consumer products.)

Job Opening for Recent College Grad at Portland's Environmental Health Strategy Center

The Environmental Health Strategy Center in Portland, Maine, has a job opening for recent college graduate. Their job posting is below.

Do you know someone who will be graduating from college this year? We are looking for our next Executive Program Assistant. This position is offered as a one-year paid fellowship designed for recent college graduates interested in pursuing a career in science, policy, technology or nonprofit organizational leadership related to environmental public health, sustainable business development or social change. If you or someone you know would be a good candidate, encourage them to apply!

Job Announcement

Help improve human health, eliminate toxic chemical use, and build a sustainable economy! We are looking for an Executive Program Assistant to join our team. This talented person will assist and support the organization’s Executive Director in carrying out high-level program development, policy research and analysis, advocacy, organizing, negotiations, communications, coalition building, organizational leadership, management and fund raising. In the course of this work, the Executive Program Assistant will receive mentoring in methods for improving environmental public health, promoting an environmentally sustainable economy and sustaining a dynamic nonprofit organization, while providing administrative support to the chief executive.

Required qualifications: College degree required. The successful candidate will have demonstrated outstanding academic performance, excellent writing skills and a commitment to positive social change. Must be highly self-motivated, self-directed and quick to respond to rapidly changing demands. Must be highly organized with excellent attention to detail and follow-through while managing multiple tasks. Must be tech savvy with at least intermediate computer skills and be comfortable working on Mac computers. We need a strong team player with good people skills. We prefer, but don’t require, some relevant experience with nonprofit organizations or public issue campaigns. Highly capable administrative or business skills are also a plus. Physical requirements include ability to spend hours listening and talking; working via computer, telephone and other electronic devices; driving frequently to meetings and events; light lifting of equipment and materials; with occasional night or weekend work, long days and overnight travel.

Details: This full-time position offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits and will be based in our Portland, Maine office. We expect the position to run from approximately June 2014 – May 2015.

The Environmental Health Strategy Center (www.preventharm.org) is a nonprofit organization celebrating our twelfth year of successfully promoting human health and safer chemicals in a sustainable economy. We have two program areas that operate within the State of Maine and nationally. Our Environmental Health Program prevents cancer, learning disabilities and other harm by advocating for chemical policy reforms to replace dangerous chemicals in everyday products. Our Sustainable Economy Program spurs job creation and a healthy economy by promoting demand for and production of safer alternatives, such as bio-based plastic made from Maine potato waste and wood chips.

To apply: Complete our simple application by March 24th, 2014 and tell us why you’re our Executive Program Assistant!

"Toxic Hot Seat" Film Premieres in Maine in March

The Environmental Health Strategy Center is hosting the Maine premiere of the film, Toxic Hot Seat in Portland and Rockland at the end of the month. The Toxic Hot Seat website gives this description of the film:

TOXIC HOT SEAT follows a courageous group of firefighters and mothers, journalists and scientists, politicians and activists as they fight to expose the shadowy campaign of deception that left a toxic legacy in our homes and bodies — a campaign so cunning, it's taken nearly 40 years to unravel.

One of the lawmakers included in the film is Maine's former Speaker of the House, Hannah Pingree. That Environmental Health Strategy Center has this to say about the upcoming screenings in Maine:

Each screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmaker Kirby Walker, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives Hannah Pingree, Executive Director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center Mike Belliveau, flame retardant free furniture designer and owner of Endicott Home Furnishings Ross Endicott and other experts.
Admission is free, but seating is limited. See below to RSVP today for Portland or Rockland:

Saturday, March 29th at 7:30 PM
Space Gallery
538 Congress Street, Portland
Click here to RSVP

Sunday, March 30th at 2:00 PM
The Strand Theater
345 Main Street, Rockland
Click here to RSVP

Watch the [autoplay] trailer here on HBO website.

Environmental Health Strategy Center Aims to Protect Maine Families from Toxic Chemicals

The Environmental Health Strategy Center is working on several initiatives right now to protect children and adults from toxic chemicals in everyday products and is seeking citizen action to help get the message across to state lawmakers. The two bills of greatest urgency are LD 902 and LD 1181. Both concern a chemical called BPA, which scientists have linked to breast cancer and a higher incidence of heart disease, diabetes, and liver abnormalities in adults as well as brain and hormone development problems in fetuses and young children. A new study also shows a strong connection between BPA levels and childhood asthma.

According to EHSC:

LD 902 would phase out BPA from infant and baby food packaging – a proposal that Maine moms brought to the State by gathering over 800 signatures last year. (Take action on LD 902 here.)

LD 1181, "An Act to Further Protect Pregnant Women and Children from Toxic Chemicals," will identify which products contain the 49 worst chemicals associated with cancer other illnesses, and take action to get those chemicals out of household products that Maine children encounter every day. The bill would also remove a loophole currently blocking protection from BPA in food packaging for kids and adults.   (Take action on the Healthy Kids Bill here.)

Attending a public hearing is also a big boost to these efforts, whether speaking or just helping to "pack the room and demonstrate solidarity."

The BPA hearing on LD 902 is on Wednesday, April 10, at 1 p.m. The Safer Products hearing on LD 1181 is on Thursday, April 11, at 1 p.m. (RSVP here.)

April 11 is also Safer Products Healthy Kids Day, starting at 8:00 a.m. at the Maine State House and continuing through the public hearing that afternoon. "Nothing is more effective for moving lawmakers into action than face-to-face conversations with constituents who really care about getting toxic chemicals away from our kids," says EHSC.

Find out more about getting involved at preventharm.org, including a clean technology event, Plants to Products: Maine’s Bio-based Products Forum, co-orga2nized with the Sustainable Bioplastics Council of Maine. The forum is Thursday, October 17, 2013, at the University of Maine, Orono.
 

Showing of "Living Downstream: Chemicals & Cancer" Aug 7

The Environmental Health Strategy Center will be showing the film, Living Downstream, this Tuesday, August 7 from 7pm to 8:15pm at the Beam Classroom at Bowdoin College, 239 Maine St., Brunswick, Maine. Click here for a map.

EHSC says about the film:

Living Downstream depicts the powerful story of ecologist and cancer survivor Dr. Sandra Steingraber and her work to raise awareness about toxic chemicals in our environment and their impacts on public health. The film follows Steingraber's year-long journey across North America as she works to break the silence about cancer and its environmental links. After the film we'll discuss initiatives happening right here in Maine and nationally to prevent harm from toxic chemical exposure. The event is free, but organizers request RSVPs by email or phone 207-699-5799 so they know how many people to expect.

For further details, including a trailer for the film, visit the Living Downstream event page at EHSC.

Following Ability Maine Expose, UCP of ME Closes Facility

Isn't it amazing what air and sunshine can do? Especially when a light is shined on shady dealings and the truth is aired about vulnerable people being exposed to toxic chemicals?

On March 8, 2012, Mike Reynolds published Of Landfills and Cerebral Palsy on Ability Maine's website. The expose revealed that United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Maine was running a residential facility, Fort James House, next to a landfill. This arrangement exposed residents to high levels of toxic chemicals. The article also revealed that some members on the UPC board of directors had conflicts of interest with regard to the landfill.

Now, Mike's follow-up article, UCP of Maine Closes Dangerous Facility reveals some surprising results. Without even a whisper to the press, both UCP members of the board about whom Mike wrote in his previous post have stepped down, and Fort James House has closed! Although UCP of Maine has not publicly commented on the reasons for these changes in leadership or facilities, it seems unlikely it's coincidence that this came about less than within two months of the Ability Maine expose. Way to go, Mike!

Have comments about either story? We'd love to hear what you have to say!