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About EJHA

Accomplishments

2022 

  • EJHA and affiliate members recommended improvements to the beta version of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, which identifies "disadvantaged" communities eligible to receive for public health, economic, and environmental investment benefits that were promised by the Justice40 Initiative. Version 1.0 of the tool was responsive to several of EJHA's concerns and now identifies more farmworker communities, Federally Recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Villages, and redlined communities as eligible for Justice40 investments.
  • EJHA, in alignment with the Equitable and Just National Climate Forum, continued to encourage Congress to pass the Environmental Justice for All Act. 
  • The Campaign for Healthier Solutions released product testing finding that over 50% of items purchased at major dollar stores in 2021 contained chemicals of concern. Notably, many of these items included toys and other products marketed to children that were found to contain lead, PVC and phthalates. 
  • EJHA celebrated $60 billion in investments to support Environmental Justice that were included in the Inflation Reduction Act, the result of decades of advocacy by the communities most harmed by toxic chemicals, climate change, and systemic racism.
  • EJHA also spoke out against harmful tradeoffs and false solutions included in the IRA, and teamed up with many other EJ groups to defeat Senator Manchin’s "dirty deal", which would have made it easier for the fossil fuel industry to obtain permits and silence community voices by weakening the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).
  • EJHA continued to advocate for the strongest possible Risk Management Program (RMP) rule. 80+ organizations signed onto EJHA and Coming Clean’s joint comment urging the EPA to stop relying on voluntary commitments from chemical plants and issue strong requirements that can prevent more disasters from happening in our communities. And more than 85 of our network members and allies called for a stronger rule in public hearings.
  • EJHA and Coming Clean released the report "Preventing Disaster: Three chemical incidents in two weeks show urgent need for stronger federal safety requirements" which recommended specific safety measures that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should require in its Risk Management Program (RMP) rule in order to prevent future chemical disasters. 

2021

  • EJHA ,in partnership with the Building Equity and Alignment Initiative for Environmental Justice, released the EJHA Case Study, entitled A Living History: the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform.
  • EJHA National Co-Coordinators Michele Roberts and Richard Moore were selected to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, along with a number of representatives from our affiliate member-organizations.
  • The Environmental Justice for All Act is reintroduced into Congress through the House and Senate.
  • EJHA advocacy with the Equitable and Just Climate Platform partners helped secure funding for community benefits seen in the American Jobs Plan in the new Biden administration.
  • EJHA affiliates testified and submitted public comments encouraging the EPA to strengthen its Risk Management Program (RMP), intended to prevent chemical disasters at over 12,000 hazardous facilities. 
  • EJHA and Coming Clean released the short report "Unprepared for Disaster: Chemical Hazards in the Wake of Hurricane Ida," profiling three hazardous facilities in Louisiana that had not implemented measures to prepare for climate change impacts like high winds and flooding. The report urges the EPA to require RMP facilities to prepare for extreme weather by installing backup power and other preventative measures.

2020

  • In September, Richard Moore spoke on a congressional panel to the Natural Resources committee to discuss Environmental Justice concerns in the state of New Mexico.
  • EJHA co-hosted a webinar with CHANGE Coalition entitled Walking the Path of Environmental Health and Justice: A Conversation with Movement Leaders.
  • EJHA cosigned a petition for EPA to issue an emergency rule protecting public health following its recent non-enforcement policy that encourages industries to stop monitoring and reporting pollution in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with NRDC and other environmental and justice organizations.
  • US District Court for Southern District of NY Approved a consent decree between EPA and a coalition of environmental and community organizations, among EJHA, requiring hazardous substance spill prevention and response planning for dangerous chemicals held in facilities—which pose major threats to human health and frontline communities.
  • Campaign for Healthier Solutions protesters gathered outside of 99 Cents Only store headquarters in Commerce, California to demand the stop of sale in toxic products with links to birth defects, cancer, learning disabilities, and other serious illnesses.

 

2019

  • Worked with local officials to assist in drafting a Cumulative Impacts Resolution that was unanimously passed by the full Wilmington City Council (DE). 
  • Worked with members of the National Black Caucus for State Legislators to draft an Equitable and Just Climate Resolution that included emphasis of a system change that prioritize addressing cumulative impacts and a plan for mandatory emissions reductions that was voted on and passed at their 2019 Annual Meeting.
  • Campaign for Healthier Solutions hosted rally with East Yard Communities at 99Cents Only Stores headquarters to demand a chemicals policy that removes toxic products from their shelves.
  • EJHA testified at several EPA hearings in DC and supported delegations of EJ community members to attend and comment at public hearings, including a few on the health impacts of and community experiences with Ethylene Oxide. In addition to advocating to keep the 2016 Cancer Rule.
  • Campaign for Healthier Solutions delegation attended the Dollar General and Dollar Tree/Family Dollar annual shareholder meetings to ask questions of corporate leadership, prompting deeper relationship building with Dollar General executives and regular contact and check in on campaign milestones.
  • Mobilized community involvement in the drafting of the revised version of the (Senate) Environmental Justice Act of 2019 (previous versions included the Environmental Justice Act of 2017).
  • In June 2019 EJHA participated in the first-of-its-kind Congressional Convening on Environmental Justice at the U.S. Capitol to collaborate on a statement of policy principles for the forthcoming environmental justice legislation.
  • Organized affiliates to engage in providing guidance and language for the (House) Environmental Justice for All Act and Principles.
  • EJHA, along with other environmental justice and national environmental group advocates participated in the alignment process, drafting, and were inaugural signatories of the the Equitable and Just National Climate Platform, which advances the goals of economic, racial, climate, and environmental justice to improve the public health and well-being of all communities, while also tackling the climate crisis. 
  • EJHA co-sponsored the Four Directions elder and youth dialogue on environmental and economic justice, hosted by Los Jardines Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • EJHA, NRDC and Coming Clean released Watered Down Justice, a report on the failures of the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure access to safe drinking water especially in communities of color.
  • Participated in a Rights of Mother Earth event hosted by the Delaware Concerned Residents for Environmental Justice at the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew Church that focused on Environmental Justice with a particular emphasis on issues and solutions impacting women and girls.
  • Testified at multiple House and Senate committee hearings, including the Senate Climate Committee and House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  • Campaign for Healthier Solutions successfully organized for Dollar General, the biggest dollar store chain in the country, to adopt their first ever chemicals policy, committing to restrict 8 toxic chemicals in two private label categories.
  • EJHA and Coming Clean co-hosted a National Environmental Justice Town Hall on Cumulative Impacts, which served as a Peoples space prior to the opening of the American Public Health Association annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA (at the meeting APHA passed a resolution about EJ and health).
  • Participated in the 1st EVER Presidential Forum on Environmental Justice in Spartanburg, SC hosted by National Black Caucus for State Legislatures November 2019.

2018

  • Filed a notice of Intent to Sue the EPA (with Clean Water Action, the Just Transition Alliance, and NRDC) for failing to adopt a rule requiring facilities with Aboveground chemical Storage Tanks to prepare worst-case spill analyses and response plans.
  • Released Life the the Fenceline: Understanding Cumulative Health Hazards in Environmental Justice Communities report and maps.
  • Submitted grassroots and technical comments opposing EPA’s proposal to adopt no new rule to prevent chemical spills from Aboveground Storage Tanks.
  • Mobilized at-risk communities and allies to oppose the Administration’s plan to rollback new chemical disaster prevention rules, including 20 pages of technical comments and evidence signed by 46 EJ groups and allies.
  • A Campaign for Healthier Solutions grassroots shareholder delegations attended the Dollar General and Dollar Tree/Family Dollar annual shareholder meetings to ask questions of corporate leadership, resulting in a commitment by Dollar General to meet with the campaign.
  • Co-sponsored a Symposium on Dignity Rights and Environmental Justice with the Delaware Law Schools which featured EJHA communities and issues.
  • Co-released A Disaster in the Making, a new report on chemical disasters and community impacts, with Earthjustice and other allies.  View the full report here.
  • The Campaign for Healthier Solutions, EJHA, and the Center for Environmental Health released an educational video and testing results which found that 100% of microwave popcorn samples bought at dollar stores contained toxic PFAS chemicals.

2017

  • EJHA and four of its members released letters to the US Senate documenting harm that would be caused by the Trump Administration’s proposal to slash Environmental Justice programs and staff from the EPA budget.
  • The Campaign for Healthier solutions second National Day of Action expanded to include 29 partner organizations and visits to 103 dollar stores in 21 states to demand safer products.
  • EJHA and the Campaign for Healthier Solutions co-released grades of Dollar General’s and Dollar Tree/Family Dollar’s performance on chemicals in their products through the Mind the Store campaign’s Retailer Report Card.
  • As as result of the lawsuit filed by EJHA, NRDC, and Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned five toxic phthalate chemicals from children’s toys and child care articles.
  • Hosted a day-long EJ Forum in Wilmington, DE including local attendees and EJHA members from around the country.
  • Co-released Environmental Justice for Delaware, a new report documenting disproportionate health and safety hazards in seven Wilmington EJ communities, with Delaware Concerned Residents for Environmental Justice and the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
  • A Campaign for Healthier Solutions delegation of community shareholders protested outside the Dollar Tree/Family Dollar annual shareholder meeting while inside the meeting Campaign Coordinator Jose Bravo challenged corporate leadership to develop policies to get toxic chemicals out of the products it sells, forcing Dollar Tree to disclose its directive to suppliers to phase out 17 toxic chemicals by 2020.
  • Joined labor, environmental, and national security allies to oppose the Administration’s 20-month delay of chemical disaster prevention measures through public comments and a lawsuit.
  • EJHA and 25 member organizations called on US Senate and House of Representatives leadership to reject chemical industry proposals to overturn improvements to chemical disaster prevention rules.
  • Throughout 2017, mobilized EJ communities and allies to oppose Trump Administration rollbacks to health, safety, and EJ laws and regulations.

2016

 
  • EJHA joined NRDC and Breast Cancer Prevention partners in a lawsuit to force the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to act on toxic phthalate chemicals in toys and children’s products.
  • Organized the first Campaign for Healthier Solutions national Day of Action, including visits to 66 dollar stores in 21 states, letting store managers know that their customers want toxic-free products. Shortly after this action, Dollar Tree/Family Dollar directs its suppliers to eliminate 17 toxic chemicals by 2020.
  • Mobilized EJ communities and allies to support changes to EPA’s Risk Management Plan rule to help prevent chemical disasters, including technical comments submitted by 68 EJ organizations, allies, and leaders.
  • Co-released with five partners Buyer Beware: Toxic BPA & Regrettable Substitutes in the Linings of Canned Food, which found that 75% of food cans tested from dollar stores contained toxic Bisphenol A.
  • Reached a settlement agreement with US EPA requiring the Agency to produce a rule to prevent chemical spills from Aboveground Storage Tanks as mandated by the Clean Water Act over 40 years previously, in response to the suit filed by EJHA, NRDC, and PCACS.

Previous

  • Sued EPA in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council and People Concerned About Chemical Safety to force the Agency to develop policies to prevent chemical spills from Aboveground Storage Tanks.
  • Delivered over 155,000 petition signatures to Dollar General and 99 Cents Only calling on the companies to adopt broad policies to remove toxic chemicals from the products they sell.
  • Launched the Campaign for Healthier Solutions and released A Day Late and a Dollar Short: Discount Retailers Are Falling Behind on Safer Chemicals, including testing results for over 160 dollar store products.
  • Supported and participated in the Summit on Chemical Safety in West Virginia in January 2015.
  • Sent delegation of grassroots leaders from the affiliate organizations to attend the Pre-Conference Of Parties gathering on Margarita Island, Venezuela to participate in process to inform United Nations Climate Change policy.
  • Supported three "Four Directions Intergenerational Youth Exchange" trainings in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
  • Released Who's In Danger? Race, Poverty, and Chemical Disasters, a groundbreaking analysis of who lives in chemical disaster vulnerability zones around 3,433 high-risk industrial and commercial facilities across the US.
  • Supported local organizing and campaigns in many states, including Alaska, Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky, New Mexico, California, and Delaware. After more than a decade of struggle, Mossville, Louisiana residents won a commitment for relocation from the toxic fenceline of Sasol.
  • Co-released a national opinion poll documenting strong majority support for requirements to use safer chemicals and processes.
  • Presented to the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council; Good Jobs, Green Jobs; the National Black Farmers Association; the NAACP; at churches, universities, retreats, and other venues.
  • Organized fenceline and environmental justice community group engagement in the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families “Stroller Brigade” in Washington, DC.
  • Sponsored “Healing the Homelands,” an event to bring community people from across the country into a shared space with White House staff, Agency staff, philanthropists, and mainstream and environmental justice groups in Washington, DC.
  • Hosted a national EJ Encuentro (meeting) to build collaboration and plan strategy, tactics, and communications.
  • Won a groundbreaking Presidential Executive Order on chemical plant disaster prevention with our partners in the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters.
  • United EJ and community groups on flame retardant, cosmetics, and other product exposure campaigns.