Center for Health, Environment & Justice : Building strong, healthy, and safe communities

One of the hottest issues we are seeing these days is proposals to build asphalt plants. They are popping up everywhere.  In Petaluma, CA, Raymond, WI, Bristow, VA, Roseville, MN and Westerville, OH just to name a few.

Perhaps it’s because of President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus bill that targets new construction projects including roads.  Or maybe road paving is a priority in your state. There are already more than 5,000 operating asphalt plants in the U.S.  In some instances, the companies promoting these new plants are selling new improved methods including one in Bristow, VA that was described as a “green” asphalt process (an oxymoron if there ever was one). Others are being described as a “clean” alternative to the old version of asphalt plants.

Regardless of the sales pitch, all asphalt plants release toxic air emissions and generate sickening odors and heavy dust. Pollution from these plants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde,  polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHSs), such as benzo(a)pyrene, particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide.  Breathing these substances can cause liver damage, respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema, skin rashes, and affect the central nervous system. Several of the VOCs and PAHs are known to cause cancer and others are suspected carcinogens.

Despite the propaganda describing the proposed plants, most are still nothing more than the traditional “hot batch” asphalt plant, the bread and butter design of the asphalt industry.  And, remarkably, many of these plants are being targeted for residential neighborhoods, some as close as 250 feet from private homes.  Not surprisingly, people are organizing quickly to oppose these plants arguing primarily that the location of proposed plant is the main problem.  How can you build an asphalt plant in the middle of a residential neighborhood where air emissions, noise, and truck traffic impact hundreds if not thousands of people, particularly children, seniors, and those with respiratory problems.

People are finding allies in schools, hospitals, retirement homes, golf courses and many businesses that would be are affected by an operating asphalt plant and all that it entails.  People are also finding that they can win if they engage their neighbors and strategically target the decision makers whether it’s the zoning board, their county supervisors, or the city council.

An asphalt plants does not belong in close proximity to residential neighborhoods.  To find out more about these proposals and what groups are doing to stop them, contact us at info@chej.org or by calling 703-237-2249.

CHEJ is also holding a special training on asphalt plants for members on August 24^th .  Contact Matthew Smith at msmith(at)chej.org for more information.

Ever been caught by your teenager when you’re on a computer, fumbling to print screen or wrap text around a picture? You’ve watched as she coolly takes the mouse from under your fingers, a click here and a click there, your fifteen minute labor reduced to child’s play. While you’re marveling at how technologically adept children are today, here’s an issue they might not have heard about yet. To gain brownie points with them, keep reading!

PVC is a plastic that is used to make several objects of daily use, from toys and boxes, to pipes and hospital equipment. And cell phones, monitors and flash drives, among several other electronic items. What’s wrong with this seemingly innocent plastic is that it ranks as the most toxic plastic on the market. Dioxins, cadmium, lead, phthalates, mercury, vinyl chloride; the list of chemicals released during its manufacture, use and disposal is a depressing, dangerous one. Chemicals released by the PVC lifecycle have been linked with asthma, learning and developmental disabilities, and obesity in children, and even high rates of cancer in fenceline communities where it is manufactured.

The Samsung Xperia X10 and Staples Bamboo flash drive are both PVC-free.

Just like you strive to protect your children from the vagaries of internet browsing (or bullying), shield them from poison materials like PVC by choosing to buy laptops, desktops, monitors and USB drives from companies that have promised to move towards a PVC-free future. CHEJ’s third annual Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies is full of suggested electronics and other school-related products that are a 100% PVC-free.  You will also find our wallet-sized version helpful for making decisions while shopping on the go.  CHEJ’s friends at Greenpeace also have a great reference sheet for electronics manufacturers that are meeting their public commitments to go PVC- and BFR-free

Companies like Apple, Sony Ericsson and Nokia have a large selection of phones that have been tested and proven free of PVC, including all iPhones and the best selling Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. If you’re looking to purchase a laptop that’s PVC-free, try the Macbook, HP ProBook 5310m or the EliteBook 8540w Mobile Workstation, all BFR/PVC-free notebooks that use materials that reduce their impact on the environment. Apple’s new laptops are all 100% PVC-free, while Sony’s VAIO laptops have PVC-free exterior product casings and packaging, but might contain some PVC internally. Other PVC-free notebook makers include 3 models from Toshiba and a Booklet from Nokia.

Looking for flash drives? Active Media sells an Endangered Species Series, or the Trio USB 3-Pack with the company’s penguin, panda and polar bear flash drives made of silicone rubber. Staples sells 4 GB bamboo flash drives in stores for $24.99.

If you’re trying to stay on top of all things environmental, donning your eco-cape and saving your little ‘uns from toxic culprits, remember also that there are other parents out there who wish they could do the same but are shackled because of the reign of PVC companies in their communities. Communities like Mossville in Louisiana and Delaware City have been struggling for environmental justice for years now, and families are fighting to save the lives of scores of their friends and loved ones that are at risk due to releases of vinyl chloride, ethylene dichloride, dioxin and other harmful chemicals. So if you think that purchasing a PVC-free monitor might not be as important as a PVC-free laptop that your child is in constant contact with, think about how your choices affect Americans in low-income areas impacted by the PVC plastics industry.

Remember, the power to go PVC-free is yours!

Find more PVC-free school supplies in CHEJ's third annual Back to School Guide to PVC-free School Supplies

Image Source: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 at www.sonyericsson.com, Staples® Bamboo Flash Drive at www.staples.com and PVC-free web banner at www.chej.org.

CHEJ does not endorse any of these products, manufacturers or retailers, nor provide any warranty of the appropriateness of listed products.

Many great artists have explored the idea of human suffering in their work (remember how Van Gogh cut off his own ear?)  Nonetheless, you want your little artists to stay safe when they sculpt you that cherished lopsided vase or paint you the classic disproportionate house.

So the next time your little tyke’s creative juices get flowing, make sure to arm him or her with only PVC-free art supplies!

Photo Credit to Hoyasmeg

PVC is a plastic that often contains toxic chemical additives, like phthalates, lead, cadmium, and organotins, chemicals harmful to children’s health.  Unfortunately, it’s used in many common products and has a ubiquitous presence in the market and in our homes and schools.  More unfortunate is the effect these and other chemicals released by PVC’s lifecycle can have on children.  Their developing bodies are more susceptible to their toxicity, and exposure could put them at risk for chronic diseases that are on the rise.  This includes cancer, learning and developmental disabilities, asthma, and even obesity. Check out how PVC affects our health.

As usual, the best way to combat this threat is to learn about it and take action! CHEJ’s new 2010 Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies will help you choose the safe alternatives to protect your children.

So here are Three Tips to PVC-Free Art Supplies:

1.    Sculpt a safer future. Polymer clays (like Fimo and Sculpy) are often rich in phthalates; reports indicate that polymer clays contain up to 14% phthalates by weight. They are especially hazardous considering the amount of tactile contact your child will have with the clay.  Instead, find flour-based clays like Play-Doh or Mary’s Softdough. Or, make your own!  It’s a simple, cheap, and fun way to keep your kid’s safe.

2.    Scrutinize the smock. Smocks have a tendency to be made out of a vinyl-y material, which are often PVC.  Make sure your smock is safe!  The Land of Nod produces PVC-, phthalate-, and BPA- free smocks. Or, make your own smock!  Put an old dress shirt on backwards, roll up the sleeves, and you’re good to go!

3.    Give plastic the cold shoulder. PVC is not the only harmful plastic, polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastics are also toxic to our health.  Therefore, whenever possible, buy non-plastic products.

You can find these and many more tips for avoiding PVC in CHEJ’s 2010 Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies.  The guide features a listing of the most common back-to-school products made out of PVC and safer alternatives in over 30 product categories.  Also, check out the convenient wallet-size version of the guide: just print, fold, and tuck it into your wallet to keep yourself informed on safe alternatives wherever you are!

As an added incentive, remember that your purchases control more than just the health of your child; they also affect the communities where PVC products are manufactured.  Consider Mossville, Louisiana, where numerous PVC plants release dioxin (the most toxic man-made chemical) into the community at potentially dangerous levels.  Cancer levels in this poor African American community have skyrocketed.

Note: CHEJ does not endorse any of these products/companies.

When the people lead, the leaders will follow.  Long Islanders Laura Weinberg and Karen Joy Miller were campaigning against the plasticizing agent bisphenol-A, or BPA, long before it became a subject of legislative concern. Last week, their efforts were rewarded when Gov. David A. Paterson signed the bisphenol-A-Free Children and Babies Act into law, banning the sale of children’s products laced with the compound. New York is now one of nine states – and the largest – to bar sales of baby bottles and other items containing the chemical.

“We have been preaching and preaching about it for years,” said Miller, a breast cancer survivor who lives in Huntington and heads its Breast Cancer Action Coalition. Miller estimates she and Weinberg, who lives in Great Neck and heads the coalition there, have been campaigning against the compound for at least 10 years. Last year, they supported a similar measure in Suffolk County, which became the nation’s first jurisdiction to ban children’s products with the compound.

BPA is a chemical additive used for more than 50 years in the production of epoxy resins, such as the linings of food cans. It’s found in hard polycarbonate plastics that are molded into products such as dental work, infant pacifiers and water bottles. BPA makes up the slickening agent on cash register receipts and is the chemical that makes fragrances in some perfumes linger longer.

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Come a typical school morning, in addition to making sure the kids are awake, dressed and finished with their breakfast, you’re probably also trying to pack them a decent lunch. Picture yourself at the kitchen counter, frantically grabbing things out of  fridge and cupboard, trying not to repeat yesterday’s menu into today’s lunch box. You’re wishing you didn’t have to use so much plastic food wrap, and hoping the food stays fresh and cold, not squished when accidentally sat on in the bus.

Bento Boxes and Tiffin Lunches

But did you know that the containers and boxes you’re packing the food in might be made out of a toxic plastic? PVC plastic is commonly used for food packaging –but  did you know it’s the most toxic plastic for our health and environment?  PVC can leach phthalates, lead, cadmium and organotins, which can endanger your child’s health. PVC poses avoidable hazards to children, but greatly affects communities where it’s manufactured because of the release of vinyl chloride and dioxins, one of the most poisonous substances known to man. Chemicals released by the PVC lifecycle have been linked with learning and development disabilities, autism, asthma, obesity and higher cancer rates.

There are ways to ensure that your children have reduced exposure to this poison plastic. In CHEJ’s third annual Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies, you will find a list of PVC-free lunch boxes that will not jeopardize your home-cooked goodness. In addition to safety, your children will love the cool designs they come in. From the Hemmert-Pelstring mother duo that had the inspiration to found Obentec (manufacturer of Laptop Lunch bento-boxes) during a morning jog together, to steel Tiffin boxes and other organic utensils that have their inspirations in far-away places like India and the Thai-Burma border, made by To Go Ware’s Stephanie Bernstein, you will find exciting shapes and sizes that will have your little one eating out of your hand. Both these types of boxes are a great way to pack dinner leftovers with fresh fruits and veggies. Or take for instance Alicia Voorhies, owner of The Soft Landing, a Registered Nurse who didn’t think plastic bottles could leach life-threatening toxins. After poring over hundreds of medical reports, Voorhies was inspired to start a company that would provide children safer alternatives for eating gear, and provide they do! The Soft Landing Store offers more than 45 types of 100% BPA, PVC and phthalate-free products in one place, from baby utensils to lunch boxes, cups and dishes.

To carry their new boxes, you will see that stores are increasingly stocking safe lunch bags, all easily identifiable by a tag that proudly says “PVC Free”. Options found in most supermarket chains are Sub Zero, Terracycle and Arctic Zone. We found that Mimi the Sardine and Dante Beatrix, NY have melt-in-the-heart designs that are absolutely adorable. To cap it off is also a list of reusable water bottles that make sure no BPA is swimming in your little one’s drink. A wholesome three-in-one, we say!

By supporting these manufacturers, you are helping to shift the market and decrease our dependence on dangerous plastics like PVC. Find a wallet-sized version to help you remember other PVC-free products in addition to lunch bags when at the store this back-to-school season. Also listed in the guide are lunch wraps that are good to go. If you are curious and worried about which plastics are considered “safe” to use, here is a great resource we found online. Together with your help, we can help make our schools, homes and lives PVC free.

CHEJ's Third Annual Back-to-School Guide to PVC-free Supplies

CHEJ does not endorse any of these products, manufacturers or retailers, nor provide any warranty of the appropriateness of listed products.

Source of images: Bento box pictures at www.laptoplunches.com. Tiffin box pictures at www.to-goware.com. Guide image at www.chej.org