The Center for Health, Environment and Justice has been on the front line in the fight for environmental health for 38 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.
Barrels of dioxins found in Oregon lake reveal history of contamination
In August 2018, a dive group found barrels containing the two specific toxic chemicals required to make Agent Orange at the bottom of Wallowa Lake, Digital Journal reports. One of [...]
Elementary school to be constructed near hazardous waste site in North Carolina
A new elementary school in Moore County, North Carolina, is to be constructed between two Superfund sites threatened by high levels of air pollution, NC Policy Watch reports. According to [...]
Why is so much of the US experiencing extreme flooding?
In 2019, the Midwest has experienced unprecedented flooding, BBC reports. The flooding is tied to the increased frequency of rainstorms: not only have they been stronger, but there's less time [...]
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Is Drinking Water Safe in the United States? By Summer-Solstice Thomas
In the small town of O’Brien, Texas, residents drank water that violated drinking water quality standards [...]
Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
It has been almost 40 years since the residents at Love Canal felt frustrated and angry that the newest scientific [...]
Get the Lead Out of Schools!
No level of lead is exposure is safe for children. We need to protect our children from lead that can cause learning delays, especially in their schools. The EPA just announced a new grants program to test for lead in their water and provides action grants to fix any contamination.
- Under EPA’s new Voluntary Lead Testing in Schools and Child Care grant program, EPA will award $43.7 million in grants to fund testing for lead in drinking water at schools and child care programs. Testing results carried out using grant funds must be made publicly available.
Protect our children—contact your local elected representatives and ask them to apply today.
Watch Leah, a 12-year-old activist give an impassioned speech at the Families belong together Rally on June 30th. CHEJ had the privilege of joining People’s Action and thousands of other activists at the rally to put an end to family separation at the border.
