California Alliance for Children’s Environmental Health (CACEH)

The California Alliance for Children’s Environmental Health (CACEH) is working to coordinate groups across sectors for urgent action to radically improve state policy on children’s environmental health and justice.

This effort is based on the findings of a landscape analysis showing the incredible strength of California’s environmental health & justice leaders and pointing to the valuable strategy of framing environmental issues as children’s health issues.

CACEH is a network of local, regional, and statewide organizations that collaborate to raise awareness of environmental health issues affecting children in California, identify and build momentum behind focused policy priorities to improve environmental conditions for children, and lift youth leaders in the development of a children’s environmental health policy agenda and efforts to promote that agenda.

October is recognized by the EPA and by the California legislature as Children’s Environmental Health Month. Environmental health is a health, racial equity, and social justice issue. Every child deserves a safe and clean world to play, learn, and grow up in, but that reality doesn’t exist in many of California’s most marginalized communities.

For example, asthma is the most common childhood health condition in California, making it difficult for children to exercise, play and attend school. African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latino children, have the highest asthma prevalence and hospitalization rates in California in part because of environmental racism that concentrates highways, industrial plants, toxic chemicals, neglected soil, corroded plumbing, and pesticide use in communities of color.

This month and every month, California must do more to address environmental health disparities and the lifelong effects of environmental toxins and climate change on our children through state-based investments and policy that center the needs of kids. There will be local and state events throughout the month to highlight key issues of importance for children’s health, as well as corresponding resources and factsheets.

2023 Children’s Environmental Health Policymaker Briefing Slides

• Children’s Environmental Health
• Chemicals and Food
• Asthma and Heat
• Pesticides
• PFAS “Forever chemicals”
• Lead

• Key 2022–2024 leigslative tracker:
  • AB 418 (Gabriel & Wicks) – The California Food Safety Act (PASSED)
  • AB 2316 (Gabriel) – Banning Synthetic Dyes in School Food (PASSED)
  • AB 1963 (Friedman) – Ban Paraquat use in California (PASSED)
  • SB 1193 (Menjivar) -Banning Leaded Aviation Fuel (PASSED)
  • SB 1266 (Limon) – Ban BPA/bisphenol in bottles and cups for children (PASSED)
  • SB 1091 (Menjivar) – Streamlining school greening projects (PASSED)
  • AB 2513 (Pellerin) – Gas Stoves and Ranges (VETOED)
  • AB 579 (Ting) – Zero-emission schoolbuses (PASSED)
  • AB 652 (Lee) – Department of Pesticide Regulation Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (PASSED)
  • SB 253 (Wiener) – Climate Corporate Leadership and Accountability Act (PASSED)
  • SB 252 (Gonzalez, Stern, & Wiener) – Public retirement systems divestment form fossil fuels (ON PAUSE)
  • AB 1000 (Reyes) – Warehouse Good Neighbor Policy (ON PAUSE)
  • SB 394 and SB 1182 (Gonzalez) – Master Plan for Healthy, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Schools (VETOED)
  • AB 249  and AB 1851 (Holden) – Lead testing of drinking water at schools (VETOED, HELD ON SUSPENSE)

• Other sign-on’s, advocacy opportunities, and events:
  • October 22nd, 10 AM: EPA Spanish Webinar on The Impact of Lead on Indoor Air and Children’s Health, register here
  • October is Children’s Environmental Health Month! Spread the word on social media using the Children’s Environmental Health Network communications toolkit or Children Now’s graphics:
    • Graphic #1 
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    • Graphic #3
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    • Graphic #7
  • Endorse the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California (here)— which is fighting to keep SB 1137 in place and protect Californians from the health harms of oil and gas drilling
  • Tell the EPA to Ban Paraquat (Pesticide Action Network) Letter to the EPA asking them to ban one of the most toxic pesticides today
  • Fossil Free CA: With the recent news of California suing Exxon over their misleading claim that recycling is a viable solution to plastic waste, the time to call on CalPERS and CalSTRS to exit Exxon is now! Exxon is a corporation that sues its shareholders, lies to the public, and disproportionately pollutes low-income communities of color; all the while risking the retirement dollars of current workers and retirees, our pensions should exit Exxon! Submit a letter to CalPERS and CalSTRS demanding that they exit Exxon now!

• Environmental Health Factsheet (Oct 2022)
• Launch of CACEH Announcement
• Oct 2022 CA Environmental Health Briefing
  
• CDC Health and Heat Index Tool
• Center for Native American Youth: Fast Facts
• Partnering with Native Nations Guide
• Climate Science Alliance: Building Authentic Collaborations with Tribal Communities
• Children’s Environmental Health Network: CA Profile
• Californians for Pesticide Reform Paper: Childhood Cancer
• CalPIRG: Kids’ Health
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Environmental Health Resources

• First ever California Department of Insurance (CDI) Extreme Heat Report (see especially section 4.3 on Health and Safety costs e.g. for pre-term birth, mental health, renal failure, etc.)
• UNICEF “A Threat to Progress” Report: Confronting the effects of climate change on child health and well-being.
• Environmental Working Group: 1-in-4 Child Care Centers have Alarming Levels of Lead in Drinking Water
• California Environmental Health Landscape Analysis
• Greening Schoolyards Tree Canopy Equity Study and Policy Brief
• California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment: Webinar Recording on Human Health Impacts of heat, wildfire smoke and air quality
• Harvard University Place Matters; The Environment We Create Shapes the Foundations of Healthy Development Working Paper 16 
• Harvard University Extreme Heat Affects Early Childhood Development and Health
• “Addressing a Multi-Billion Dollar Challenge”: Educational Outcomes of School Modernization
• Climate Bond Equity Proposal Sign-On Letter

• Children’s Environmental Health Month (October)
• Bringing greater awareness of environmental health and climate change to pediatricians and health providers in California, mobilizing health professionals for EH work
• Preventing childhood exposure to toxins and environmental hazards (e.g., lead in drinking water, toxic food chemicals, fiberglass, cleaners, beauty products)
• Greater funding and better infrastructure for electric vehicle (EV) buses
• Public education around gas stoves and childhood asthma
• Strengthening climate education, greater accountability around fossil fuel emitting businesses near schools, accessibility to healthy resources, mitigating food waste and carbon footprint of schools

• Improved enforcement of pesticide school buffer zones and prioritizing EJ policies for pesticide use and regulation
• Decarbonization of school environments, including climate resilience infrastructure changes
• Reducing childhood lead exposure through drinking water, increased screening rates, and better quality housing
• Supporting implementation of Senate Bill 1137 by ensuring implementation of funding and countering industry opposition
• Ensuring equitable distribution of school facility modernization funds, especially through the 2024 education bond (Proposition 2)
• Weighing in on California Climate Resilience Bond and environmental justice funding opportunities
• Supporting youth activism and direct action campaigns