Fwd: CHEJ's April E-Bulletin

[Guest guest]

I thought this might interest you all. CHEJ was founded by Lois Gibbs of the

Love Canal incident. Peace,

" Center for Health, Environment & Justice " <info@...> wrote: Date: Wed, 5

Apr 2006 08:05:47 -0700 (PDT)

From: " Center for Health, Environment & Justice " <info@...>

<csralls@...>

Subject: CHEJ's April E-Bulletin

CHEJ

Child Proofing Our

Communities

BE SAFE

Support Us

Tell A Friend

Welcome to the April CHEJ E-ACTION BULLETIN, an e-bulletin for parents,

workers, activists - anyone working at the grassroots level to help protect our

communities from environmental hazards.

CHEJ'S ONLINE AUCTION - NOW OPEN

Natural Skincare, Organic Apparel, Nature Getaways - ALL at Bargain Prices!

Click here to start bidding.

It's not too late to donate an item or service! Health or beauty products,

original art, organic apparel, gift certificates - all would be greatly

appreciated! Contact Liza Draper at ldraper@... or (703) 237-2249 ext. 24.

Thank you for supporting CHEJ's mission and helping people " make the link "

between health and the environment!

---------------------------------

---------------------------------

GROUP MEMBERS ONLY WEBSITE! Access a wealth of critical " how to " and scientific

information to help you win your battle on our Group Members Only website. Some

articles on our Members Only site include: How To Block a Proposed Facility,

How to Assess Health Problems in Your Community, Drinking Water Filters: Do They

Really Work? and much more. Click Here to become a Group Member! Or, if you

are already a member of CHEJ's Partner's Circle as an individual and would like

access to all the helpful information on this site, please email us at

kira@....

---------------------------------

In This Issue...

Child Proofing Our Communities

***Victory! Judge Affirms Contaminated Site Must Be Cleaned Up Before It's Used

for School***

***Oregon Child Care Facilities Go Eco-Healthy!***

***Gain Recognition for Your School This Spring by Becoming a Green Flag

School!***

BE SAFE

***Taking Precautionary Action: Roadmap for Success***

***Who Knew that Potatoes Could Build a Better Future?***

***Sign Up Today for our New PVC Action Network!***

News from the Field

***North Carolina Citizens Regroup to Continue Landfill Fight***

***West Virginians Organize for Cleanup of Oil Refinery Contamination***

***Florida Environmental Health Conference a Success***

Really Great Ways to Help CHEJ

***Join CHEJ's First Annual Making the Link Walkathon!***

***Help Celebrate CHEJ's 25th Anniversary by Giving Monthly***

About CHEJ

---------------------------------

Child Proofing Our Communities

***Victory! Judge Affirms Contaminated Site Must Be Cleaned Up Before It's Used

for School***

Although the future of the former Gorham manufacturing site in Providence, Rhode

Island remains unclear, a judge has deemed the land unfit for a school until it

is cleaned up. According to the Department of Environmental Management (DEM),

the pond and park area adjacent to the proposed school site contain high levels

of dioxin. Last year, city officials announced a plan to build a high school on

a portion of the 37-acre site, prompting protest from citizens concerned that

the land would pose a health threat to students and teachers alike. Attorney

Fischbach, who partnered with CHEJ on the development of the Building

Safe Schools: Invisible Threats, Visible Actions Report, represented these

concerned citizens at recent hearings. Now that the site has been recognized as

an environmental health threat, the next step for this community is developing a

safe, responsible plan for cleanup. Kudos to the Reservoir Triangle neighbors

for speaking up and landing this victory!

***Oregon Child Care Facilities Go Eco-Healthy!***

Schools and child care centers are a known source of environmental health

hazards. But many Oregon parents are now picking up their children from child

care with the peace of mind that their child has enjoyed an environment free of

hazardous chemicals, secondhand smoke, and mold. Last September, the Oregon

Environmental Council (OEC) began certifying child care facilities as

" eco-healthy. " In order to earn this environmental health seal of approval,

child care providers must prohibit smoking and the use of pesticides. They must

also meet 20 of an additional 25 criteria, which range from the use of nontoxic

cleaners and art supplies to the elimination of air fresheners and cars idling

near playgrounds. Since the program's start, 58 child care facilities in the

state have received the OEC's certification and more than 350 child care

providers have inquired about the certification process. To learn more about

which centers are eco-healthy, click here or visit

http://www.oeconline.org/kidshealth/ecoqualified.

***Gain Recognition for Your School This Spring by Becoming a Green Flag

School!***

Groups representing middle and high schools across the country will host

coordinated events this spring to celebrate becoming one of CHEJ's Green Flag

Schools. This is a great opportunity for schools to be recognized in their

local paper and gain national acclaim as environmental leaders! For everything

you need to know to join the schools nationwide hosting a fun, coordinated event

to celebrate becoming a Green Flag school, click here or contact CHEJ's Green

Flag Co-Coordinator Sherman Ludwig at (703) 237-2249 ext. 17 or

ludwigsv@....

---------------------------------

BE SAFE

***Taking Precautionary Action: Roadmap for Success***

Come to the First National Conference on Precaution - June 9th to 11th in

Baltimore, land! At this one-of-a-kind event, you'll join with groups from

across the country to share successful precautionary strategies, tools, and

programs. The conference will bring together participants working on toxics,

nuclear waste, disease prevention, pesticides, worker safety, and many other

issues. It features over 35 workshops and strategy sessions.

Come learn about more than 50 model local, state, and nationwide precautionary

policies from across the globe. Add practical new tools to your arsenal, such

as how full-cost accounting addresses the " hidden costs " of pollution.

Participate in trainings on community organizing, fundraising, advocacy, media

outreach, and more. Help build the movement for precautionary action to prevent

harm from environmental hazards by registering today! To download a conference

brochure, as well as registration and scholarship forms, please visit

www.besafenet.com. Contact CHEJ's BE SAFE Coordinator Anne Rabe at 518-732-4538

or annerabe@... with any questions.

***Who Knew that Potatoes Could Build a Better Future?***

In early March, Maine Governor Baldacci signed a groundbreaking Executive

Order that promotes safer materials in consumer products and services. The new

legislation will also help build a stronger economy through the development of

safer alternatives such as bio-based plastics made from Maine potatoes.

Entitled " An Order Promoting Safer Chemicals in Consumer Products and Services, "

the Executive Order will reduce state purchasing of toxic products, curb

pesticide use, and increase public education on the availability of safer

alternatives to hazardous products. A Governor's Task Force will be created to

develop new state policies requiring the sale of safer products in Maine and to

identify ways to expand research into green chemistry. To see the full page ad

that followed the Executive Order, click here. CHEJ congratulates the

Environmental Health Strategy Center and Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine,

who worked with the Governor's office to help develop this model.

***Sign Up Today for our New PVC Action Network!***

This year, CHEJ's PVC Campaign is taking advantage of recent victories to

convince more major retailers and manufacturers to phase out their use of PVC

plastic.

We need YOUR help to win this campaign. Click here to sign up for our PVC

Action Network to receive free campaign e-mail updates and action alerts (no

more than two a month), so you can participate in this campaign's success and

join the community of informed and concerned consumers. By signing up for the

PVC Action Network, you will receive the most pressing campaign updates and

action opportunities. Joining is free, easy, and only takes 30 seconds. Make a

difference today by signing up at

www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/CHEJ/signUp.jsp?key=956 & t=PVC.dwt.

---------------------------------

News from the Field

***North Carolina Citizens Regroup to Continue Landfill Fight***

Members of the community group Scotland County of Tomorrow (SCT) are gearing up

to continue a landfill battle they thought they'd already won. Not long after

Waste Management, Inc. initially proposed a new Bioreactor landfill, county

commissioners voted not to consider any new landfill proposals in the county.

It seemed that the siting of the much-feared facility had been averted. That

success was short-lived, however, as Waste Management continued its push to

build the landfill. Bowing to this pressure, the county commissioners

reconsidered their earlier ban, instead forming a committee charged with

assessing landfill proposals. The committee does include some concerned local

citizens, but also appears to include members of a front group that has been

vocally promoting the landfill and may be tied to Waste Management. CHEJ has

provided organizing assistance to SCT and is currently helping them link up with

other groups fighting Bioreactor landfills.

***West Virginians Organize for Cleanup of Oil Refinery Contamination***

St. 's, West Virginia has more than its share of oil refineries. For years,

gas and diesel fuel leaks and spills have plagued the town. Groundwater

contamination from the Saint 's Refinery Company (formerly Quaker State) has

been so severe that the city has had to change its water supply twice. With

many members of the community still relying on wells as a water source, local

citizens have had enough. Although the refinery is no longer in operation, the

challenge is far from over. The problem now is that Shell, Quaker State's

parent company, refuses to take responsibility for the cleanup. Determined to

make their community safe and healthy once again, local citizens contacted CHEJ

for help. We have provided them with organizing support and materials, which

aided the group in their first official meeting last week. CHEJ will continue

to work with this community as they solidify their coalition of concerned

neighbors and continue to work towards reclaiming clean

groundwater.

***Florida Environmental Health Conference a Success***

CHEJ hosted a Florida Environmental Health, Justice and Economic Prosperity

Conference in Winter Park, FL in March, bringing together 60 diverse and active

groups. The groups joined the conference to share experiences and research and

to join forces in their environmental justice work. While each group was

focused on different environmental issues, the conference enabled these leaders

to collaborate together on their individual struggles. The collective

brainstorming of these groups throughout the conference allowed participants to

identify innovative new changes they wish to see in Florida. Some of the issues

to be addressed include farmer health and safety training, phasing out the use

of toxic cleaning products in public buildings, working towards sustainable

energy, and preventing mercury contamination. CHEJ and the dedicated leaders of

these groups will continue to strengthen the coalition of Florida environmental

health community leaders. For more information or to get

involved, contact Stacey at sgonzalez@....

---------------------------------

Really Great Ways to Help CHEJ

***Join CHEJ's First Annual Making the Link Walkathon!***

Help raise awareness about " the link " between health and your environment by

walking in CHEJ's 5K " Making the Link " Walkathon! On Saturday, April 29th (rain

date: May 6th) at 9:30 AM, the walk will start at the beginning of the Capital

Crescent Trail in town, and follow along the scenic C & O Canal.

- s that raise at least $100 in sponsorships will receive a pedometer that

measures the distance you walk, calories you burn, and steps you take!

- Exciting prizes such as gift certificates to Clyde's, Daily Grille, the

Running Store, and more await the team with the most walkers, the team that

raises the most sponsorship money, and the individual that raises the most

money. - All walkers will receive a free walkathon t-shirt!

CHEJ's partners in Tiverton, RI, Alamance County, NC, and North Branch, MN will

hold " Making the Link " Walkathons in their area this Spring. To learn more, or

to register for the walkathon online, click here or visit

www.chej.org/walkathon.

***Help Celebrate CHEJ's 25th Anniversary by Giving Monthly***

In celebration of CHEJ's 25th Anniversary this year, consider joining the

Advocate's Circle, CHEJ's Monthly Giving Program. Monthly giving is easy (never

write another check again!), wallet-friendly, and effective for CHEJ. For as

little as $5 a month, you can help ensure that we have the funds we need to

assist local communities struggling to safeguard their health and the

environment. You can help reduce our administrative costs by authorizing your

bank or credit card to automatically transfer your gift each month. And of

course, you can change or suspend your contributions at any time. Click Here to

join the Advocate's Circle, our monthly giving program.

---------------------------------

About CHEJ

In 1978, Lois Gibbs discovered that her Niagara Falls, NY neighborhood was built

next to 20,000 tons of leaking chemical waste, the now infamous Love Canal

hazardous waste site. Lois led her community in a colossal 2-year battle

against a multibillion dollar corporation and local, state and federal

government agencies. Her leadership led to the relocation of over 900 families.

After Love Canal, Lois was inundated with calls from people across the country

who were facing similar threats and wanted help. CHEJ was founded in 1981 to

address this need.

Today, responding to individuals and communities is still at the core of CHEJ's

mission. CHEJ empowers communities to take an organized, unified stand in order

to hold industry and government accountable for contaminating their water, air

or soil. Responding to the national outcry for protection from toxic hazards,

our campaigns have unified voices around the world, creating a powerful chorus

for health and the environment. To learn more, please visit CHEJ on the web at

www.chej.org.

---------------------------------

JOIN US

If you're not already a member, please join with the thousands that are working

to protect our communities and environment. Click Here to become a member or

visit https://commerce11.pair.com/chej2249/contribute.html.

Privacy Policy — we do not sell, rent, or lend the e-mail addresses of our

subscribers. You are subscribed to this list as csralls@.... Click

here to unsubscribe, or send email to

unsubscribe.84698.70444579.3009852516830081182-csralls_sbcglobal.net@...\

ring.org

Our postal address is

150 S. Washington Street, Suite 300

Falls Church, Virginia 22046-2921

United States

Ralls

630-779-2818