The Strategy Center Blog

Maine faces an alarming and growing public health problem as a result of sewage sludge laced with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), that, when spread as fertilizer on Maine’s farmland, pollutes our food, farms, and groundwater with these toxic chemicals. The state has so far failed to address the problem —and now, it’s proposing a path forward that may be just as bad or worse. At the August 28 PFAS taskforce meeting, Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner...+ Read more

We've just released a new report —the largest study of its kind, to date—that found one out of seven vinyl or PVC food service gloves contained toxic chemicals called phthalates (THAL-eights) that can leach into food. Worse? Two-thirds of the popular fast food restaurants we visited were using vinyl gloves to handle and serve food. Some PVC gloves from McDonald's tested positive for phthalates. (See how all restaurants ranked here .) We’re calling on McDonald’s, the top restaurant by sales in...+ Read more

Our recent work tackling toxic PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) has taken us from farm fields in rural Maine to the nation’s capital. Here’s a peek into our efforts on the state and national fronts to tackle the growing crisis of PFAS contamination in our food, water, and soil. (Read the previous installments in our “Tackling Toxic PFAS” series here , here , and here .) Are children and families in Maine drinking milk contaminated with toxic PFAS? Despite recent...+ Read more

Our recent work tackling toxic PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) has taken us from farm fields in rural Maine to the nation’s capital. Here’s a peek into our efforts on the state and national fronts to tackle the growing crisis of PFAS contamination in our food, water, and soil. (Read the first installment of our “Tackling Toxic PFAS” series here , and the second installment here .) Most of us here in Maine assumed when we read back in March that the “ State says sludge...+ Read more

By Gillian Miller, Mike Belliveau, Mike Schade, and Bill Walsh​ Tens of millions of pounds of phthalates annually eliminated from vinyl flooring: That’s the victory our collaborative Mind the Store campaign scored in 2015 after we secured commitments by leading retailers to eliminate phthalates from flooring. We did this by first testing dozens of floor tiles from the nations’ largest home improvement retailers, then reporting the results, and meeting with the companies and challenging them to...+ Read more

Our recent work tackling toxic PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) has taken us from farm fields in rural Maine to the nation’s capital. Here’s a peek into our efforts on the state and national fronts to tackle the growing crisis of PFAS contamination in our food, water, and soil. ( Read the first installment of our “Tackling Toxic PFAS” series here .) After the devastating PFAS contamination of Fred Stone’s dairy farm in Arundel, Maine, made headlines across the country...+ Read more

Thanks to you, we had a major win for public health this week. The Maine Legislature unanimously passed a first-in the-nation bill banning two toxic industrial chemicals from food packaging. When signed into law, it will also clear the way for restricting additional harmful chemicals from food packaging. The bill is now on Maine Governor Janet Mill’s desk, awaiting her expected signature. Update, 6/13/19: Governor Mills just signed this bill into law! This win belongs to you. It comes thanks to...+ Read more

Our recent work tackling toxic PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) has taken us from farm fields in rural Maine to the nation’s capital. Here’s a peek into our efforts on the state and national fronts to tackle the growing crisis of PFAS contamination in our food, water, and soil. On the National Front Earlier this month, I joined parents, children, farmers, and others directly impacted by PFAS contamination from around the country in Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress...+ Read more

In our home state of Maine this week, LD 1433, the Safe Food Packaging Act, which would phase out toxic PFAS chemicals and phthalates from food packaging , passed the Maine Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee with a strong bipartisan vote of 9-2. "Beautiful Maine, the state where my wife and I spent our honeymoon and bring our children to visit, can be a strong leader by limiting PFAS and phthalates in food." —Dr. Leo Trasande, M.D., M.P.P. We are especially grateful to...+ Read more

New PFAS Pollution Concern Spurs Ask for Senate Committee Investigation In their classic critique of the public relations industry, Toxic Sludge is Good For You! , authors John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton take apart propaganda-for-hire tactics. In one chapter, they detail how a devilish euphemism transformed the dumping of sewage sludge into the beneficial reuse of “biosolids.” What the name change failed to cover up, however, are the toxic chemicals, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl...+ Read more