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.