Toxic threats
The chemicals used in everything from perfumes to cleaners to fertilizers should make our lives better — not harm our health or our environment.
There are more than 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, used in everything from perfumes and household cleaners to fertilizers and industrial solvents. Surprisingly, most chemicals go into use without testing their long-term impact on our health or the environment. We should make sure that any chemical in use is safe, eliminate any we know are dangerous, and when industries make a toxic mess, we should know right away, and they should pay to clean it up.
The Latest on Toxic threats
STATEMENT: EPA acts to protect drinking water from PFAS
‘Filter First’ campaign announced to fully remove lead from all drinking water in schools
Updates
Colorado gets a ‘C+’ for efforts to get the lead out of water
During Lead Poisoning Prevention Awareness Week, experts share dangers, make recommendations to provide lead-free drinking water in schools
Featured Resources
“Chemical recycling”: What you need to know.
Get the Lead Out
Recording of Farewell to Fluorescents policy briefing
Get the Lead Out Toolkit
The Latest
Colorado gets a ‘C+’ for efforts to get the lead out of water
CoPIRG Foundation highlights Colorado’s grade jumps in a report that ranks states on policies addressing lead in drinking water. The improved grade comes following a new state law that requires testing and remediation for some schools but Colorado still falls short in protecting kids from all lead in water. CoPIRG is calling on school districts to take additional action to fully protect kids from lead exposure, including adopting filter first policies and accessing available state and federal funding, something Vice President Harris emphasized in a recent visit to Colorado.
Filter First Colorado
Why lead in drinking water poses a threat to our children, and what parents and school districts can do to ensure access to safe drinking water.
During Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, CoPIRG Foundation urges school districts to adopt ‘Filter First’ approach to kids’ drinking water
A conversation with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser as the Clean Water Act turns 50
We discussed an important Supreme Court case that could threaten clean water protections as well as his lawsuit to hold producers of dangerous PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ accountable
Polluter tax to clean up Superfund sites kicks in Friday
After decades of taxpayers bearing the cost of cleaning up toxic waste sites, a new tax on companies that produce chemicals will kick in Friday to pay for toxic waste clean up. The so-called “polluter pays” tax will give the EPA’s “Superfund” program, which is responsible for cleaning up the most hazardous waste sites in the country, a major boost and help to free many Coloradans from the threat of deadly toxic waste.