LDA believes all children deserve healthy places to live, learn, play and grow. That’s why our Healthy Children Project (HCP) reduces pregnant women and children’s exposure to chemicals that harm brain health by passing policies for safer products, food, water and air, pushing companies to eliminate harmful chemicals, and educating our members.
Educating members on PFAS forever chemicals: HCP hosted a national virtual showing of Dark Waters movie highlighting the story of toxic PFAS chemicals polluting our water and environment. HCP hosted a panel discussion with firefighters and community groups to share policy actions to get rid of these harmful chemicals.
Policy wins on PFAS: Michigan, New Hampshire and New York adopted PFAS water quality standards. CA mandated testing water for PFAS. VA created a PFAS task force to study contamination. New York banned incineration of PFAS foam. Check out Safer States’ summary of PFAS policies and bills.
Pushing companies to sell safer products: LDA is asking McDonald’s to get rid of PFAS chemicals in their food packaging. LDA and our state affiliates sent a letter to the company and started a social media campaign. Sign our partner’s change.org petition.
LDA continues to push the dollar stores, where parents and teachers often shop for supplies, to get the worst chemicals out of their products (check out our HCP Director’s OpEd on Dollar Tree). We also continue to push Kraft Heinz to get phthalates out of their mac & cheese and push many other retailers to take action to protect children’s brain health.
HCP co-hosted a webinar “What is Environmental Racism” with Environmental Justice Health Alliance and California Safe Schools, educating LDA members on how communities of color are hardest hit when it comes to chemical exposure, and what we can all do to fight for clean air, water and safe products for all.
Safer Cleaning & Disinfecting During COVID webinar and resources. Stay tuned for January 14th 2021 training that will cover foggers and misters. Surfaces should be cleaned first, before disinfecting. To find safer disinfectants, look for active ingredients including alcohol/ethanol/isopropanol, hydrogen peroxide, thymol, L-lactic acid and citric acid.
Progress on amalgam: LDA of America’s HCP submitted comments, presented at an in-person meeting with the FDA in DC last year, and also participated in calls with the agency. These actions with partner groups resulted in the FDA releasing new recommendations on amalgam, stating that pregnant and nursing mothers, women of childbearing age, children under 6, and people with neurological disorders should avoid these mercury dental fillings. A big win. “Even a small exposure of a neurotoxin at the wrong time of development can have a lifelong impact, especially for the fetus and young child”, said Tracy Gregoire with the Learning Disabilities Association of America. “There are proven, safer alternatives to amalgam, so we should avoid preventable exposures to neurotoxins like mercury in amalgam. For these reasons, LDA is happy to see that the FDA lists pregnant and nursing women and children under 6 in the high-risk category and recommends that alternatives to amalgam are used.” Learn more.
HCP continues to oppose the nomination of Nancy Beck to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Beck delayed protections on lead and stopped the ban on a brain-damaging pesticide. That’s why LDA organized a letter with state affiliates and partner organizations to the Senate committee and mobilized dozens of calls into key legislative offices and will keep the pressure on till her nomination if defeated. Join us and tell Senators to say no to Beck.
The support of our members and state affiliates make these accomplishments possible. Thank you!
