Toxics & Health

Toxics & Health

Toxics & Health

We are working to address the widespread pollution of air, water, and the food supply. We recognize that the burden posed by toxic chemicals falls most heavily on marginalized people, including Black and Brown communities, low income families, and children. We are focused on actions that bring attention to people and places most impacted by pollution.


Despite legal protections that exist to regulate pesticides, the safeguards are woefully inadequate.

About Our Program

Polluters, not everyday people, must be responsible for halting the use of these chemicals, and paying to clean up the pollution and contamination they’ve created. Sierra Club is focused on actions that reduce environmental inequities. We call for long-lasting solutions, including stronger government oversight, pollution prevention, and increased corporate accountability.

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March 14, 2024

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking decisive action against harmful air pollution by finalizing a rule that will slash emissions of the hazardous air pollutant ethylene oxide (EtO) by 90 percent from commercial sterilizing…

August 17, 2023

Washington, DC – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first round of sampling of toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water, reporting results for 2,001 large and small drinking water systems. Concentrations of two common PFAS…

April 12, 2023

On Tuesday, officials advised residents to evacuate their homes due to a significant industrial fire in Richmond, Indiana.

14 de marzo de 2023

La Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA) emitió hoy sus primeros estándares legales en relación con los llamados PFAS o “químicos eternos, proponiendo un límite de no más de 4 partes por billón (ppb) de cada compuesto en el agua potable.

March 14, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first-ever legal standard for two PFAS “forever chemicals” -- PFOS and PFOA -- proposing a limit of no more than