Press Statements

This morning, the EPA announced its federal PFAS action plan. In response, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families Director Liz Hitchcock issued the following statement.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicated that it will finalize a long-delayed ban on the use of methylene chloride in paint strippers for consumer use by advancing the measure to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final approval.

Yesterday the U.S. Senate confirmed Alexandra Dunn’s nomination to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In response, Liz Hitchcock, Director of Safer Chemicals Healthy Families issued the following statement:

Governor Inslee’s Orca Task Force released its recommendations for protecting the endangered southern resident orca population, including recommendations for reducing threats posed by toxic contaminants. Toxic pollution is one of the major threats to orcas, not only affecting orca health but also the availability of their favored food source, Chinook salmon.

Washington, DC - Today, Congress took bipartisan action to protect drinking water from contamination by passing legislation that directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow airports to use firefighting foam free of highly fluorinated chemicals or PFAS. The use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam is responsible for drinking water contamination for millions of Americans.

Advocates call on Pruitt EPA to end delay, protect Americans from toxic products

Second U.S. retailer to act following multiple deaths and EPA inaction

Today the EPA released its long-awaited “problem formulation” documents for the first ten chemicals under review as required by the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families’ Acting Director Liz Hitchcock issued the following statement in response.

Lowe’s Commits to End Sale of Toxic Paint Stripping Products; First U.S. Retailer to Act Following Multiple Deaths and EPA Inaction

Advocates call on The Home Depot to also ban toxic paint strippers containing deadly and dangerous chemicals