The Center for Health, Environment and Justice has been on the front line in the fight for environmental health for 35 years. We train and support local activists across the country and build local, state and national initiatives that win on issues from Superfund to climate change.
We Can Help You Win
CHEJ has the tools to help residents fight against toxic threats in their community. We can provide scientific information to make your case, leadership training to build your organization and organize your community, and ongoing coaching throughout the process.
Whether you are starting a new initiative from scratch with volunteers or have been working together for years, CHEJ is there for you. Contact us to find out more.
Love Canal
Our story began in Love Canal, NY, where Lois Gibbs led her neighbors to be protected from 20,000 tons of hazardous waste buried in their backyards. Love Canal was national news and the catalyst for the federal Superfund program.
Armed with lessons about the power of organizing, education and the bold voice of local residents defending their families, Lois launched CHEJ in 1981. We’ve been fighting for a healthier environment ever since.
A Network For Change
Our nationwide network of more than 300 local community groups works locally and at the regional, state and national levels to achieve critical policy impacts around issues like fracking, release of toxic chemicals, climate change, industral waste and more.
The communities we serve are largely rural, low-wealth or working class—the places that typically bear the brunt of environmental degradation. Together, we make a difference.
Undermining the Rule of Law at the E.P.A.
"Last week brought more bad news: Mr. Pruitt is proposing to end a decades-long agreement with the Justice Department that funds the E.P.A.’s lawsuits against polluters responsible for creating hazardous waste sites. [...]
What happens when a hurricane hits a toxic waste site?
After Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, the EPA confirmed 13 of Houston's Superfund sites were flooded or completely underwater. Gibbs says thousands more sites are vulnerable to violent storms, and politics make it [...]
Mr. Pruitt Solar Panels are a Redevelopment Option
A Superfund site in Vermont will be redeveloped with solar panels. This is a redevelopment idea we can live with. While the land is being reused we can reduce our [...]
#RiseUp2017
#FromProtestToPower
Watch progressive leader and commentator Van Jones make the keynote address during the morning plenary session of the “Rise Up” People’s Action convention in Washington, D.C. on April 24.
See #CHEJShareworthy below for another video from the convention.
What is the road ahead for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria?
On Wednesday, September 20, Hurricane Maria made a direct hit to Puerto Rico– virtually destroying most [...]
Tell Ben & Jerry’s CEO: Get pesticides out of your ice cream!
Think about it: Ten of 11 samples of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream tested positive for glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s dangerous Roundup herbicide.
The ice cream brand claims its social mission “seeks to meet human needs and eliminate the injustices in our local, national and international communities,” and that its focus is “on children and families, the environment and sustainable agriculture on family farms.”
Watch the video: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joins dozens of grassroots activists pledging to run for office as the featured speaker at the April 24 afternoon plenary of the People’s Action “Rise Up: From Protest to Power” convention.
