In the twenty-first century, several companies–most recently Deutsche Bank’s DWS [https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/01/investing/deutsche-bank-dws-greenwashing/index.html] – have come under scrutiny for "greenwashing" or misleading consumers about their environmental impact for the benefit of company image. While “greenwashing” is a relatively new term, this

In November 1996, the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) sent a letter to the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) on “Vinyl Chloride: Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity Data Summary.” While evidence linking vinyl chloride and negative health effects began to emerge in the mid-1960s, CMA maintained that vinyl chloride was not likely

In honor of International Workers’ Day, we are highlighting documents from the Workers Institute for Safety and Health (WISH) which was established in 1980 to protect workers from occupational hazards. Shortly after the Industrial Union Department and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) brought a

In April 1989, Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) published an article [https://www.toxicdocs.org/d/93vLQJj1YeYLNQO9BBobmX4Z3] titled “Climate Change Task Force Tackles Global Warming” in their trade association newsletter to address intensifying concerns over global warming. Though the article suggests that global warming legislation could threaten the plastic

With news that the EPA will replace lead pipes across the country through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, we are highlighting historic documents that depict how advertising played a role in the growth of the lead industry. Throughout the early 20th century, the National Lead Company (currently known as NL

The Environmental Protection Agency recently opened a civil rights investigation over pollution and discriminatory practices in Louisiana’s chemical corridor, however, residents have warned of hazardous exposures for decades. Dubbed “cancer alley” by residents, exposure to pollution from Louisiana’s chemical corridor has been linked to cancers, miscarriages, and other

With recent news [hhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/24/microplastics-found-in-human-blood-for-first-time] that microplastics are detected in places ranging from the depths of the ocean to the blood of humans, we are highlighting a 1946 document which contains the term “microplastic” in reference to National Gypsum Company Gold Bond plaster.

Despite the emergence of evidence linking asbestos and lung cancer in the mid-1950s, asbestos remained in consumer products well into the 1970s. The document below highlights how Executive Secretary of the Asbestos Information Association Matthew M. Swetonic responded to mounting regulations on the asbestos industry. In 1973, Swetonic presented to

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has transformed how the public engages with previously unreleased documents from corporations, government, and other agencies since it was enacted in 1967. While national agencies and organizations tend to file the most FOIA requests, individuals are also able to obtain documents of interest from

In 1994, the Vinyl Institute–a division under the trade association The Society of The Plastics Industry– sent a review on “Estrogen Mimics” to their Executive Board Technical Committee. Concern over estrogen mimics stems from their ability to cause multi-generational effects as observed with diethylstilbestrol (DES) including reproductive organ abnormalities,

In 1990, newspapers across the country reported on how Monsanto altered studies to obscure the health effects of dioxin. According to an internal federal memo from the EPA, Monsanto manipulated results to deny the toxicity of dioxin. One newspaper highlighted in this collection reports: “Chemists at Monsanto Chemical Co. fraudulently

In 1984, the scientific publishing house Springer-Verlag published the article “Health Risks to Female Workers in Occupational Exposure to Chemical Agents” to warn the public about the health effects of exposure to plastic monomers such as vinyl chloride, styrene, caprolactam, acrylates, and formaldehyde. Following the introduction, the article details how

In 1994, the public relations firm Mongoven, Biscoe & Duchin, Inc. sent a document titled “MDB Activist Report for August” to the Chlorine Chemical Council (CCC) of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). The report states: “Attached is a list of all the recommendations we provided CCC in August as to how

Monsanto halted their production of PCBs in 1977, however, the issue of PCB waste remained a persistent problem. The document highlighted below is an internal record of recommendations posed to Monsanto following the EPA’s impending regulation that would tighten restrictions on PCB waste management. The recommendation is as stated:

In 1991, the Journal of Air & Waste Management Association published the article “Chlorinated Solvents: Will the Alternatives be Safer?” in which the authors discuss concerns over the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCS) which were known to be greenhouse gasses. The authors of the article reveal that in the case of aqueous

In the early 1980s, the Environmental Action, Inc. and Sierra Club began a campaign to “locate and expose the nation’s unsafe hazardous waste sites.” Check out the document here [https://www.toxicdocs.org/d/LK3xY2zxxJY0dQNKbxG4KkQj3#] to learn more about their pioneering advocacy!

While reproductive rights have been a focus of national politics, “reproductive toxins” which can cause adverse effects on reproductive systems continue to be left out of this discussion. In a 1988 inter-organization correspondence from BF Goodrich on the reproductive toxins, “Cadmium, Lead Pigments and/or Stabilizers,” the author of the

In honor of Labor Day, we are highlighting a document from the 1961 National Safety Congress on Labor Safety. The document discusses the implications of the case of the 'Radium Girls' who sued their employers for radiation poisoning in the 1930s, setting a legal precedent for occupational diseases. Click here

In the eye of a hurricane, oil and chemical hubs pose a toxic threat to surrounding communities. When the plants shut down before big storms, they produce an onslaught of toxic pollution which puts nearby areas at risk of exposure. Furthermore, following a big storm there is often oil and

Last week, the EPA announced measures to ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos in food production. Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate pesticide commonly used on crops and animals to kill insects and worms, however, studies have linked it to neurological damage in children. The document below highlights the administrative conflict

The document [https://www.toxicdocs.org/d/mBkxdNywrymQ61meM6qZNGjvk?lightbox=1] we are highlighting today is a letter from the Industrial Hygiene Foundation of America to Dr. Robert Kehoe at the University of Cincinnati. The letter is from Jan 29, 1964, and penned by Robert T.P. deTreville. Both figures, Dr.