Groups Urge NYS Action On Flame Retardants, Lead In School Water & Environmental Justice Bills As Legislative Session Nears End

JustGreen Partnership Holds Virtual Legislative Advocacy Day

ALBANY, NY: May 25, 2021 – The statewide JustGreen Partnership (JGP) held a Legislative Lobby Day today, Tuesday, May 25, 2021, calling on state leaders to pass a package of priority environmental justice and health bills in the final two weeks of the official legislative calendar. Environmental organizations and activist from across the state met with legislators and staff via Zoom conferences.

Representing more than one million New Yorkers, the 50-member organization lobbied both Senators and Assembly members on its four priority bills, including the 

  • Family & Fire Fighter Protection Act - S.4630 (Kaminsky) and A.5418 (Englebright et al.) (matching amendment pending)

  • Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Act - S.3331 (Rivera et al.) / A.143 (Gottfried et al.)

  • Reducing Lead in School Drinking Water - S.2122 (Rivera et al.) / A.160 (Gottfried et al.)

  • Ban PFAS in Apparel - S.6291 (Hoylman) / A.7063 (Fahy et al.)

“These end of session bills are critical to protecting New Yorkers from the dangers of toxic chemicals in consumer products and schoolchildren from the dangers of lead in school drinking water,” said Bobbi Wilding,” Executive Director of Clean and Healthy New York and co-chair of the Just Green Partnership. “We call on our legislative leaders to take immediate action on these important bills and bring them to the floor of both houses before they leave town in June.”  

After a brief training and update from activists’ staff and environmental leaders, community-lobbyists spent the rest of the morning and afternoon pushing for positive legislative action.

“Research has shown that people of color are more likely to have higher levels of the toxic chemicals found in both flame retardants and personal care products in their bodies, an therefore suffer from higher incidences of the adverse health impacts these chemicals cause – especially among children of color, who are far more likely to suffer from lead poisoning,” said Sonal Jessel, M.P.H., Director of Policy at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “That is why we have joined our fellow members of the JustGreen Partnership to ask Albany to put an end to this environmental racism and pass legislation to protect New Yorkers from continued exposure to these toxic chemicals.”

The JustGreen Partnership Lobby Day Priority Bills Can Be Found Here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vC13E9fQQHMCoTe5vQm22_dRLkfLDyXW/view

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JustGreen May Advocacy Day Priorities

The JustGreen Partnership is 50 organizations representing over a million New Yorkers on public health, environmental conservation, environmental health and justice, consumer protection, worker safety issues and more.

New York State can lead the nation by adopting comprehensive policies that provide the public with necessary consumer information, use credible scientific information to restrict toxic chemicals, and address New York’s legacy of toxic chemical contamination.

Safe Personal Care and Cosmetics Act
S. 3331 (Rivera et al.) / A. 143 (Gottfried et al.)

The personal care industry is not compelled to disclose certain product ingredients and any health and environmental hazards they may pose. To ensure the safety of New Yorkers and drive safer alternatives, this legislation mandates disclosure of ingredients in hygiene and beauty products, and bans some of the worst.

Family & Fire Fighter Protection Act
S. 4630B (Kaminsky et al.) and A. 5418 (Englebright et al.}

Toxic chemicals used as flame retardants are present in mattresses, furniture, and electronic enclosures. Many of these chemicals are carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, endocrine disruptors and developmental neurotoxicants. They pose particular hazards to fire fighters, children and pregnant women. This legislation bans their use across major product sectors.

Ban PFAS in Apparel
S. 6291 (Hoylman) / A. 7063 (Fahy et al.)

PFAS are a class of chemical used across large swathes of product sectors for their resistance to water and stains. They can cause cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, low sperm counts, and more. New York State has banned PFAS in fire fighting foam and food service ware. This legislation bans its use in most clothing and apparel, with the exception of extreme outerwear.

Eliminating Lead in School Drinking Water
S. 2122 (Rivera et al.) / A. 160 (Gottfried et al.)

There is no safe level of lead exposure in children. New York requires testing of children at ages one and two for lead, but no such requirement exists for older children – who spend significant time at school. This bill will set a new action level of 5 parts per billion for lead in school tap water and require annual school water testing for lead. When lead concentration exceeds the action level, schools will create and implement an action plan to supply staff and students with safe drinking water. This bill would expand school water testing by increasing training and testing frequency, removing testing exemptions, lowering the action level and increasing disclosure of information.

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