Toxic threats
It’s up to us to protect our ecosystems and communities from toxic chemicals.
Most of the 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States have been put into use without testing long-term consequences for the environment, or their impacts on our health. We should make sure that any chemical in use is safe, eliminate those we know are dangerous, and stop using any that are damaging healthy ecosystems. And if an industry makes a toxic mess, we should know right away, and they should be the ones to pay for cleaning it up.
The Latest on Toxic threats
Statement: EPA tells power plants to clean up their act
Statement: New rule will aid PFAS clean-ups
Updates
Rhode Island senate approves 10-year deadline to replace lead pipes
Two more states take action to limit lead in schools’ drinking water
What You Can Do
Featured Resources
Superfund Back on Track
Safe for Swimming?
The Threat of “Forever Chemicals”
Who are the top toxic water polluters in your state?
The Latest
New report: Toxic waste cleanup efforts lag, putting Americans at risk
One in six Americans lives within three miles of a toxic waste site so dangerous that it has been approved or proposed for cleanup under the federal government’s “Superfund” program. However, there’s not enough money to pay for that vital work, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data detailed in a new report from U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America Research & Policy Center.
Rhode Island waterways receive top rank with least toxic dumping of any state
Rhode Island ranks best nationwide with the least amount of toxic industrial pollution dumped into the state’s waterways, according to a new report by Environment Rhode Island Research & Policy Center. Industrial facilities dumped just over 600 pounds of toxic chemicals into Rhode Island’s waterways in 2012, compared to nearly 18 million pounds in the worst-ranking state, Indiana. The report comes as the Environmental Protection Agency considers a new rule to restore Clean Water Act protections to thousands of waterways in Rhode Island and across the nation.