We All Live Downstream

By Cindy Luppi, New England Regional Director

Today is a day for the history books — for the first time since 1976 when our nation’s chemical policies were put in place, the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee took a critical step on the road to safer chemicals and healthier families by voting to support reform dictated by modern science. The Safe Chemicals Act is a breath of fresh air for families across the country burdened by cancer and other chronic illness linked to toxic chemicals. It reflects input from a range of interests including health voices, environmental advocates, forward-thinking businesses and many others who would like the United States to catch up to the 21st century changes that other countries have already embraced. Read the rest of this entry »

By Colleen Meehan, Pennsylvania Program Organizer

In late June I had the opportunity to travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to take part in the Peoples Summit for Social and Environmental Justice, and to attend several events at the United Nations Earth Summit. The UN “Rio+20” Earth Summit joined together governments and nongovernmental organizations to discuss sustainable development measures to meet future needs of our countries, and to form a global plan of action.  The Peoples Summit was more focused on what we as citizens of these states can do to combat environmental destruction, such as building grassroots movements and taking action to participate in the democratic process.
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by Gary Wockner

Clean Water Action has been heavily engaged in drilling and fracking issues here in Colorado.  We’ve been knocking on doors in the Denver Metro area for the past 2 months, educating communities about drilling and fracking activity close to their homes and schools and on our public lands in Western Colorado. We’ve knocked on over 8,000 doors and gathered over 800 postcards and letters to Congressman Mike Coffman from his constituents in the outer ring of suburbs on the south and east sides of Denver.

Clean Water Action & CD6 constituents visit Rep. Coffman’s office.

On Tuesday, July 3^rd, Clean Water Action and three Congressional District 6 constituents delivered the postcards to Congressman Coffman’s office and sat down with his District Director, Andy Merritt, to discuss the Congressman’s environmental voting record and the postcard requests from hundreds of his constituents.

First, the postcards ask Congressman Coffman to 1) “Protect our neighborhoods and public lands from the impacts of oil and gas drilling.” Mr. Merritt’s response to this request was to say that Congressman Coffman believes that drilling and fracking regulations are better left to the State and local governments and that the federal government should not be involved.

When asked about the federal government’s role on public lands in Western Colorado, Mr. Merritt said he was not sure on the Congressman’s position. However Congressman Coffman has publicly stated that he opposes the Department of Interior and the EPA’s attempts to regulate drilling and fracking on Colorado’s public lands.  Mr. Merritt also said that Congressman Coffman believes that natural gas burns cleaner than coal and that natural gas is a “bridge fuel.” Read the rest of this entry »