About Us
The Environmental Health Strategy Center promotes human health and safer chemicals in a sustainable economy. We believe that every person has a right to a clean and healthful environment wherever they live, work, learn or play. We envision a future that provides good green jobs, healthy communities, and social justice for all.
The Environmental Health Strategy Center was founded in Maine in 2002. We work for systemic change by blending science-based advocacy and creative constituency development with strong coalition organizing and strategic issue campaigns. We focus on two program areas – Healthy People, which seeks to improve health through safer chemical policy reform at the federal and state levels, and Sustainable Economy, which models a green chemistry economic development strategy to produce bioplastics from Maine potatoes and other biomass.
Through the Strategy Center’s leadership, the State of Maine has set the pace nationally for policy solutions that protect human health from unnecessary toxic chemicals, such as mercury, lead, arsenic and PBDE flame retardants. In 2008, we led the campaign to pass the Kids Safe Products Act, the first comprehensive safer chemical policy reform in the United States.
We lead two successful, collaborative partnerships, the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, a health-based coalition working to replace unnecessary dangerous chemicals with safer alternatives, and the Sustainable Bioplastics Council of Maine, a business-based coalition that aims to boost Maine’s green economy through the use and development of non-toxic, petroleum-free and bio-compostable products.
Become a part of our story. Make a tax-deductible donation and join us by becoming a member today!