2025 – Banning PFAS and Other Toxic Chemicals from Menstrual Products
We helped pass the Ban on PFAS and Toxic Chemicals Bill, which will regulate the sale and distribution of menstrual products (pads, tampons, liners, sponges, etc.) in New York State that contain restricted substances or unsafe chemicals, including PFAS “forever chemicals,” heavy metals like lead and mercury, hormone disrupting parabens, and carcinogens like formaldehyde and toluene. We are now advocating for the Governor to sign it into law. Once signed into law by the Governor, New York will join California, Maine, and Vermont in restricting PFAS in menstrual products, and go beyond other states by restricting other harmful chemicals.
“Women and femmes of color are already disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals in their lived environment, and even more so from beauty products that are marketed towards them. One way to reduce this dangerous exposure is to ban toxic chemicals in period products, which pose a heightened risk given their use in sensitive areas of the body as well as their duration of use. This crucial legislation for menstruators’ health will prohibit the use of chemicals such as PFAS, talc, lead, synthetic fragrances and so many more. These toxins are closely linked to cancer outcomes, contribute to fertility and reproductive challenges, reduce immune function, and interfere with hormones,” said Briana Carbajal, State Legislative Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “Thank you to Senator Fernandez and Assemblymember Rosenthal for championing the passage of such an exemplary piece of legislation for other states to follow suit.”
2025 – Repealing the 100-Foot Rule
WE ACT for Environmental Justice – along with fellow environmental advocates from the Renewable Heat Now coalition and beyond – helped pass legislation that eliminates the 100-foot rule, part of the State’s Public Service Law that had required utilities to build a gas pipeline to any building or home within 100 feet of an existing gas main at an expense of $200 million per year – paid for by ratepayers across the state. Under this new legislation, which amends the Public Service Law, a utility will still be obligated to provide gas service to any building within 100 feet of an existing gas line but only if it requests gas service, provided that those requesting the service agree to pay for the material and installation costs of installing that gas line. We are now advocating for the Governor to sign the bill into law.
“Since the state legislature passed New York State’s All-Electric Buildings Act, which will go into effect for buildings under seven stories in 2026, there should be no need for utilities to build gas lines to these new buildings, let alone force ratepayers to foot the bill for this unnecessary infrastructure,” explained Cameron Clarke, NY HEAT Campaign Coordinator at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “This legislation will save New Yorkers $200 million per year. While this does not do enough to directly address New York’s energy affordability crisis, it will help some of the 1.4 million New Yorkers who are struggling to pay their energy bills.
WE ACT will continue to advocate for equitable energy affordability measures, including the remaining two elements of the NY HEAT Act: ensuring that energy bills do not exceed 6 percent of household income, which would directly address New York’s energy affordability crisis; and ending the obligation to serve gas, which would give utilities more flexibility in transitioning communities from natural gas to renewable energy, as mandated by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
2024 – Identifying Lead Water Pipes
We worked with the JustGreen Partnership and Lead Free Kids New York to pass the Lead Pipe Right to Know Act in 2024. This new law requires public water systems to take inventory of the service lines – the water pipes – in their system to identify which ones contain or may contain lead. This is an important win, given that New York State leads the nation in cases of children with elevated blood levels.
2023 – Banning Gas in New Construction
Studies show that air pollution from buildings burning fossil fuels leads to nearly 2,000 premature deaths each year across New York State. That is why we built on our success in banning gas in new building construction in New York City to pass a similar law, the All-Electric Building Act, which Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law in May 2023. Beginning in 2026, new buildings seven stories and under must be built all electric, and beginning in 2029 for taller buildings.
2022 – Cumulative Impacts Legislation
We worked with fellow advocates to convince New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Cumulative Impacts bill into law on December 31, 2022. This landmark environmental justice legislation ensures that cumulative impacts are taken into consideration in the State’s environmental permitting processes when potentially polluting facilities seek permits in disadvantaged communities. It’s a historic move, making New York the second such in the nation with such a law, following New Jersey’s groundbreaking legislation signed in 2020, which was advanced by the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and others.
Low-income communities and communities of color throughout New York State have historically been burdened by a disproportionate number of pollution-generating facilities such as factories, power plants, bus depots, sewage treatment plants, garbage dumps and transfer stations, and trucking centers. This inequitable siting has turned these communities into environmental sacrifice zones, with the cumulative impacts of these multiple sources of pollution exponentially harming their residents, causing health impacts such as asthma, lung and heart disease, increased birth defects, and learning impairments. Current laws and regulations do not take the cumulative impacts of pollution into account when approving such facilities, instead treating them as if they were the only source of pollution that residents will have to endure, which is why this Cumulative Impacts bill will be landmark legislation in addressing the environmental racism that has plagued the health and well-being of these communities for generations.
2022 – Banning Mercury from Skin Lightening Products
Working with the JustGreen Partnership, we were able to get New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Mercury Out of Cosmetics bill into law on December 23, 2022. This law bans the sale – both in-store and online – of cosmetics and other personal care products that contain mercury. Despite being a persistent neurotoxin that can cause kidney damage, psychosis, and peripheral neuropathy among other adverse effects, mercury is still used as a preservative in creams designed to lighten skin color. A global industry estimated to be worth $32.1 billion by 2024, skin lighteners and whiteners are marketed almost exclusively to people of color, based on the perpetuation of racist beauty standards, and because of inconsistencies in the labeling of ingredients, many users are unaware that they are applying this highly toxic substance directly to their skin.
2021 – Our Youth Education Program Wins Environmental Excellence Award
Our Youth Environmental Health & Justice Leadership Training program received an Environmental Excellence Award from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This program prepares students to be environmental and climate justice advocates for their community.
2020 – Child Safe Products Act
Children of color are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals such as arsenic, formaldehyde, lead, mercury and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Researchers have linked these and other toxic chemicals found in children’s toys and essential products to cancer, learning disorders, genetic anomalies, hyperactivity, developmental delays, and asthma.
These tainted children’s products are sold at stores in Central Harlem, East Harlem, Inwood, Washington Heights, and around our state. We can’t reduce our children’s exposure to this environmental harm by shopping outside of our community or buying more expensive items. We need strong enforcement of existing laws and passage of new legislation.
The Child Safe Products Act created a framework for protecting children by requiring product makers to disclose chemicals of concern and restricting some of the most harmful. This is a fight we were heavily involved in for years, along with our colleagues in the JustGreen Partnership. On February 7, 2020, New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed it into law. Working together, we were able to turn off the tap on toxic chemicals and make New York the healthiest state for all families!
2020 – Banning PFAS in Food Packaging
Helped pass a bill that will ban PFAS in food packaging in New York State in 2020.
2020 – Banning TCE
We helped pass a bill banning the use of trichloroethylene.
2019 – Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act
Also in 2019, we helped pass the landmark Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act in New York State.
2019 – Period Product Labeling Act
Helped pass the Period Product Labeling Act in New York State in 2019.
2016 – Lead in Public School Drinking Water
In 2016, we helped pass legislation requiring tests for lead in water in every public school in New York State.
2010 – Banning BPA in Children’s Products
In 2010, we helped pass New York State legislation banning BPA chemicals in children’s products.