WE ACT for Environmental Justice, the Just Transition Alliance, and the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice have launched an innovative three-year targeted outreach, education, and communications strategy on behalf of the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families (SCHF) Campaign. The goal for our three organizations, as well as SCHF, is to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the nation’s chemicals regulation law, in the interest of the environment and the health of low-income and environmental justice communities across the country. As co-founding members of the Campaign, we are positioned to deliver critical champions that are in new seats of political and popular influence.

The Toxic Substances Control Act allowed 62,000 chemicals that had not been proven safe to stay on the market when it was enacted in 1976. Between 1976 and 2010, the list of chemicals allowed for use in the U.S. swelled to roughly 82,000. But in that time, the Environmental Protection Agency reviewed the toxicity of just 200 chemicals and banned only five. Meanwhile, the scientific evidence of negative health effects associated with TSCA-permitted chemicals has only gotten stronger.

Specifically, our strategy is to win crucial support for the SCHF platform for reforming TSCA - the nation's antiquated chemical safety law - from the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, pivotal subcommittees, offices, and Administration agencies by engaging a diverse base of support for TSCA reform. We have a coordinated plan to build support from environmental justice networks and environmental justice communities across the nation in key swing legislative districts with whom we have collaborated on the issue of toxic chemicals for the past decade or longer. Some of these networks and communities are actively working on related issues, but not yet on chemicals policy reform.

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Safer Chemicals Healthy Families Campaign

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