New proposals now circulating in Congress would significantly weaken the nation’s primary chemical safety law, the Toxic Substances Control Act. Draft legislation in both the House and Senate, the draft Toxic Substances Control Act Fee Reauthorization and Improvement Act and the House Proposal to Amend TSCA, would reduce industry fees […]
Environmental Health
14 posts
California’s system for identifying communities that face the highest cumulative pollution burdens is at a critical turning point. The state’s environmental screening tool, CalEnviroScreen, plays a central role in determining which neighborhoods receive priority access to climate and environmental investments. As funding uncertainty surrounds its maintenance and updates, the implications […]
Just this month, January 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a major change in how it evaluates air pollution regulations. Under a new rule the agency said it will stop assigning a dollar value to the health benefits of reducing certain types of air pollution when it conducts cost‑benefit […]
In a moment when cities across the country are waking up to the hidden health hazards that surround us, Santa Rosa stands at a crossroads. The City’s forward-thinking 2022 ordinance banning new gas stations was a landmark move, protecting neighborhoods, water, and air from an outdated and toxic fossil fuel […]
A recent investigative report by ProPublica has shed light on a troubling development at the federal level, one that could have profound consequences for communities across the country, including here in Sonoma County. The Environmental Protection Agency, once seen as the last line of defense against industrial pollution, is now […]
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) provides some of the strongest evidence yet that PFAS contamination in public water systems harms infants and newborns. This research looked at more than 11,000 births in New Hampshire between 2010 and 2019 and found that […]
As Sonoma County continues to grapple with the twin challenges of climate disruption and ecological degradation, our choices in public and private landscaping are more consequential than ever. Among the most pressing and often overlooked concerns is the rise of artificial turf, plastic grass marketed as a water-saving, maintenance-free alternative […]
By Martin J. Bennett Last year the trade publication Wine Enthusiast recognized Sonoma County as the ‘Wine Region of the Year,’ and the Sonoma County Winegrowers Association announced that 99 percent of the county vineyards achieved their ‘sustainability’ certification. But the county’s farmworkers–who produce the wealth of the wine country–are […]
Urgent Action Alert: Please join us at the Board of Supervisors Meeting Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 8:30am Location: Board of Supervisors Chambers 575 Administration Drive, Room 102A, Santa Rosa Agenda Item to be Discussed: Toxic Free Future in and around Sonoma County Public Areas The Board of Supervisors will be […]