PEER Protects Public Health
Reducing Toxic Risks for a Healthier Future
Environmental and public health specialists work hard to protect the health of children, workers, and the public at large.
PEER works with these specialists to correct the problems when public agencies fall short in their public health mandates. We have a large network of federal, state and local government employees that work with us to expose information about the effects of toxic chemicals and environmental pollution on public health and challenge industry’s influence over regulators.
Together, we fight for stronger laws and regulations, vigorous enforcement of existing laws, and greater transparency in government actions. And we partner with affected communities to elevate their concerns.
Our future depends on our ability to protect and promote public health by addressing environmental policies and practices.
Chemical Regulation
PEER has emerged as a national leader in exposing the hidden dangers of toxic chemicals in products and in pushing for government reforms to protect us from the potential risks of toxic chemicals.
PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’
PEER works to protect public health and wildlife from toxic exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and fights for comprehensive solutions to the PFAS crisis.
Pollinators & Pesticides
PEER highlights key new science and exposes coverups of the dangers of pervasive pesticide use. Learn what actions are needed and how you can help.
Artificial Turf
PEER works to expose the dangers of toxic, plastic grass proliferating on playing fields, playgrounds, parks, and backyards and support communities fighting for natural grass playing fields. Learn and share the facts.
Air Pollution
PEER has worked with whistleblowers throughout the country to improve air quality. Here is an example of PEER‘s work with whistleblowers to halt illegal permitting practices in Colorado.
Superfund Accountability
PEER is working to expose efforts to scale back the Superfund program that gives EPA authority to identify responsible parties and make them help pay to clean up their pollution.
A SNAPSHOT OF PEER’S PAST EFFORTS
Here are some examples of how PEER has made a difference:
- Organized more than 300 groups to join our drive to reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals from 400 incinerators burning industrial, medical, municipal solid waste, and sewage sludge.
- Defended a long-tenured professor, one of the nation’s most respected experts on health effects of chemical exposure, from an industry scheme to stop his research.
- Successfully fighting to close major human and environmental exposure pathways from toxic forever chemicals called PFAS.
- Shut the pathway for lead poisoning for 1.4 million children under age 7 living in 5 million older residential units with lead paint. A PEER lawsuit forced long-overdue rules requiring that all repairs and renovations on these older units be conducted in a lead-safe manner.
- Forced adoption of safeguards for human exposure testing of pesticides and other toxins.
- Worked with concerned public school teachers, staff and agency professionals to identify and remedy toxic schools plagued by PCBs and other contaminants.
- Outlined policy steps that can help prevent future pandemics.
READ MORE NEWS ON PUBLIC HEALTH
Losing Our Voice: The Attack on Public Health Science
Politicians are leading our nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health experts and scienists, sidelined and ignored, have lost their voices.
Can National Parks Practice Social Distancing?
The still-unfolding pandemic has underlined the public health risks that national parks and refuges pose both to the visiting public and their own employees. How can national parks dedicated to attracting crowds operate in a new era of social distancing?
EPA Not on Emergency Footing
Extraneous Activities Undercut “Primary Mission Essential Function”
National Parks Epitomize Trump COVID Inconsistency
As more than 100 national park units have closed, hundreds more remain open in an uneven handling of COVID-19 by the Trump administration.
BLOG: COVID-19 Power Grab
Buried deep in the $2 trillion coronavirus bill, was a change in the tax code that “could result in $170 billion in tax breaks for real estate investors.”
NRC Stages Swift Sweeping Rollback During Pandemic
Vast Amounts of Rad Waste Slated for Disposal by Unlicensed Operators
PEERMail | Anti-Science Agenda Getting a Green Light
Failure to address the pandemic lies with Trump and politicians like Mitch McConnell who have a long history gutting funding of our public health agencies and ignoring the advice of scientists and health advocates.
BLOG: How Mitch McConnell Gutted the Pandemic Response
While he has been the Senate Republican Leader, Mitch McConnell has led efforts to cut $1.6 trillion in critical funding for CDC and NIH research. And now, as our public health services are begging for resources to save lives from the pandemic, Americans are living the policy result of Sen. McConnell’s efforts.
