In February, the FDA announced its plan to review sunscreen product chemicals, many of which can harm people and the environment. The agency spent the past five months seeking public opinion on its plans, and 19,256 people and groups─including members of Salud America!’s network─submitted comments with a clear message: Ensure our sunscreen is safe! Still, the FDA has made only 1,577 comments available to the public. Of the listed messages, 345 came from Salud America! advocates, for 21.8% of all comments!
Are There Serious Risks?
Research on sunscreen has shown that certain chemicals, such as avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octocrylene, can enter a user’s bloodstream and cause potential harm. These substances have also caused environmental damage to coral reefs. Still, ...
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is trying to cut off federal housing aid and evict “mixed-status" immigrant families. HUD is proposing a rule change to the Section 8 program on public housing, published in the federal registrar May 10, that would remove aid and evict families with one or more members who don't have certain residency documents, according to the National Housing Law Project (NHLP), which is organizing a commenting campaign. The move could displace thousands of families and children, who could become separated from their families or homeless. "If this rule is passed will affect more than 25,000 families and more than 55,000 children across the country," said Diane Yentel, NHLP's president and CEO. Fortunately, you can speak up to HUD ...
As part of their more significant trend of weakening environmental rules, the EPA announced a reduction in groundwater protections on April 15. Yet, 24,088 people and organizations submitted a public comment to the agency — including 2,028 emails, about 10% of all comments, from SaludAmerica! network members. Many of these statements urge government officials to rethink the act of allowing corporations more flexibility to eliminate toxic waste by polluting groundwater. Other groups, such as Clean Water Action, also sent data and expert opinion to show how EPA’s plans could continue to harm our waters and climate. "This is a reckless departure from past practice and agency precedent. It’s a senseless handout to polluting industries, at the expense of our water and health," ...
Under the Trump Administration, U.S. health leaders are proposing to weaken the Affordable Care Act’s ban against discrimination in healthcare. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revision to ACA would erase references to protections against discrimination by health care programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability. The revision, according to Health Affairs, would remove: Certain definitions (such as terms like “on the basis of sex”);
Nondiscrimination protections based on sex, gender identity, and association;
Language-access requirements (such as translated taglines on notices and communications to consumers), affecting people with limited English proficiency
Requirements for a compliance coordinator and ...
At least one person has been killed in a traffic crash in Texas every day since Nov. 7, 2000. That’s why Vision Zero Texas has enabled advocates to push Texas leaders, including a letter-writing campaign (with Salud America! participation) and in-person advocacy, for strategies to improve road safety and set a goal to have zero deaths on state roads. The efforts are paying off. In May 2019, the Texas Transportation Commission voted to adopt a goal of reducing traffic fatalities on the state’s roadways to zero by the year 2050!
Traffic Deaths in Texas
Nearly 3,600 people died on Texas roads in 2018. Why? Human factors, like distracted driving and speeding, vehicle factors, like breaks and headlights, and roadway factors, like access points and pedestrian crossings. ...
In a seemingly coordinated effort to minimize climate change concerns, the Trump administration is reducing environmental protection rules. Now, they want to diminish scientific data that demonstrates its potential harms. Last month, James Reilly, director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), ordered his agency’s scientists to limit climate change estimations to only predict effects until 2040. Up to now, models would assess climate change repercussions through 2100. Scientists are concerned because the worst climate harm could come after 2050, according to The New York Times. This is bad news for Latinos, who are especially impacted by pollution. “Failing to look beyond 2040 [on climate science] is like pretending a baby born today won’t live past 21,” ...
The Ohio State School Board this week approved social and emotional learning (SEL) standards to apply to students in K-12─and hundreds of Ohio educators and Salud America! members submitted comments to help refine those standards. Ohio now is one of only eight states with K-12 SEL standards. These standards aim to help students build emotional awareness, empathy, strong relationships, and responsible decision-making. How did this big change happen? What role did Salud America! and the public have?
The Growth of SEL in Ohio Schools
Students who get support for social and emotional learning in schools do better academically, socially, behaviorally, and mentally, research shows. SEL is part of a larger plan in Ohio (3.8% Latino) to prepare all students for life after high ...
In another move to reduce clean water protections, the EPA plans to enact another ruling that will make it easier for companies to remove hazardous waste through dumping. This proposed directive would limit the protections of our rivers and lakes by allowing a loophole with greater flexibility for corporations to eliminate toxic waste by polluting the groundwater, according to Clean Water Action. This plan follows in the footsteps of the agency’s recently proposed “Dirty Water Rule,” and is part of a seemingly wide-reaching effort to reduce environmental protection efforts. The EPA wants your opinion on this proposed rule by June 7, 2019!
Email a Comment Now for Clean Water!
Dear EPA Office of Wastewater Management, Access to clean water should be a foremost ...
Over the past two months, Latinos and all Americans have spoken out against the EPA’s proposal to reduce the waters that are protected by the agency. Of the 577,212 public comments submitted, 2,367 members of the Salud America! network sent EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler an email. These messages urged Wheeler’s organization to not follow through with their plan to revise the definitions of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS), or more commonly the “dirty water rule.” The EPA is reviewing the messages, but thousands of miles of rivers, lakes, and wetlands could be put in danger of pollution if the EPA enacts this rule. Risks Involved The landmark Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 as part of an effort to reduce widespread pollution. Greater requirements were added to ...
