CENTER for ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

2024 Annual Report

Forging a Healthier Future

Letter From Our CEO & Board Chair

"No one comes from the earth like grass. We come like trees. We all have roots."

Maya Angelou

Dear Friends,
2024 taught us that our work has never been more personal. Environmental health is not a distant topic, in a faraway place. Environmental health is a woman fighting endometriosis, breast cancer or infertility asking questions about the “forever chemicals” in her drinking water.

Environmental health is legal action to remove cancer-causing chemicals from our shampoos, our foodware, our yoga mats and more. Environmental health is children swapping single-use plastics for safer reusables at school.

Our own bodies, our families, our communities, our air, water, soil, and the products we use every day are all interconnected, and CEH is proud to fight to make environmental health a reality for everyone.

We remain committed to protecting public health and supporting decision-makers by leading science-backed approaches and identifying solutions that center prevention and remedy environmental injustice.

We have been David fighting Goliath–a nonprofit taking on the world’s largest corporations. Now, we are also honing in on being the national watchdog of our bedrock environmental laws, working with allies to hold agencies accountable for healthy bodies and a healthy planet.

In 2024, we brought on board more science and policy staff, deepening and strengthening our in-house expertise and investing resources to defend and protect women and children: our future climate heroes. Additionally, we worked proactively with corporations to reformulate and to reduce toxic chemicals for the health of us all.

We invite you to read through our select accomplishments in this annual report and celebrate our collective wins because we could not have done it without your vital support.

Together, we can create a cleaner, safer, and healthier world.
With love and gratitude,

Kizzy Charles-Guzman, CEO

Rob Rosenheck, Chair of the Board

Our 2024 Impact

700 million

people reached by press and media coverage of our programs work

800,000+

single-use items prevented from going to the waste stream from K-12 schools adopting CEH’s non-toxic reuse resources

315+

consumer products tested for toxic chemicals

17

harmful State and Federal bills opposed by CEH

650,000

meals served on non-toxic reusables in 25 schools in Alameda County, CA

33

companies CEH reached legal agreements with

8

new products added to our GreenScreen Certified Standard for Reusables

72

State and Federal bills supported by CEH

61

letters applying guidance and pressure on regulatory agencies for community-based rule making to ensure protection of environmental and public health

76

companies CEH sent notices of violation to

1,145

signatures on our petitions to get lead out of accessories at Ross and Burlington, BPA out of canned coconut water, and Pulegone out of York Peppermint Patties

Learn More about what
we've achieved together

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Policy

CEH works to preserve existing health and environmental protections while championing new, purposeful policies that provide much needed safeguards against toxic chemicals.

We have been a key player in protecting and enforcing legislation like California's Proposition 65 and the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which are crucial bedrock environmental laws that help keep our environment and loved ones safe. Our partnerships help to create policy reform, amplifying the efforts of grassroots organizations advocating for stronger environmental protections and contributing to systemic changes that benefit everyone. CEH advocates on the local, state, and federal levels to create a positive domino effect of policies that can build on each other and provide road maps for other states, communities and organizations.

2024 was a dynamic year for legislative work that required transparency of toxic chemical use and assessments of known hazards. CEH is proud to have supported 40 federal bills and 32 state bills that passed the Legislature and were signed into law by Governor Newsom during the 2024 Session. Some key wins include the following:

CEH assisted with the passage of the California School Food Safety Act, which prohibits schools from serving foods containing six synthetic food dyes. These dyes, often found in snack items or cereals, have already been banned in the European Union due to genotoxicity and adverse impacts on the immune system and behavior—it's about time we adopted these bans in the United States as well. This victory has also led to similar bills this year in multiple states—including West Virginia, Florida, Arizona, and New York—so we know this movement can continue to grow and have an even greater impact. CEH will continue to champion similar bills across the country that prioritize our children's health.

Expanding on our wins with food products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced earlier this year that it will ban the toxic artificial food coloring Red No. 3 from being used in foods, drinks, and ingested drugs in the United States. We've known for decades that Red 3 can cause serious health issues such as thyroid cancer in animals, and we've been working towards a total ban of this harmful additive. CEH, alongside several partner organizations, petitioned the FDA to remove Red 3 from foods and ingested drugs back in 2022. We're thrilled to celebrate this policy victory with our fellow partners and health advocacy leaders.

CEH also celebrated a major public health win regarding pollution from general aviation airports. We strongly endorsed a bill signed into California law by Governor Gavin Newsom that bans the sale and distribution of leaded aviation gas (avgas). CEH has been working alongside community members for years to address this issue, and we are vigilant about informing people that there is no safe level of lead exposure. Lead is a carcinogen and reproductive toxicant that can cause permanent and irreversible health effects and is especially harmful to children. Lead exposure from airport emissions often affects lower-income communities with high populations of people of color who are already exposed to greater numbers and concentrations of environmental hazards. CEH is proud to support policies that remedy environmental injustice and improve the health of our communities.

CEH brought our advocacy and community engagement to the forefront with the passage of California state bill AB2515, which will ban the sale of tampons and other menstrual products that contain certain levels of toxic PFAS. To promote this bill CEH enlisted the help of our future climate and environmental heroes—students.

Our partner, Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA), set up an advocacy day on June 20th, 2024 in Sacramento and CEH gathered some politically-minded high school students to speak with California state legislators about the dire need to remove toxic PFAS from menstrual products.

Thanks to these passionate students and support from our allies, the bill was signed into law and will go into effect this year. At CEH, we pride ourselves on engaging community members—especially local youth—to successfully fight for policies that protect our health.

CEH remains steadfast in our commitment to defend our existing protections and advance new policies that create systemic change towards environmental health and justice. We won't stop until we have strong policies that protect us all from unseen threats.

Litigation

We pride ourselves on using our combination of legal strategies, science-backed advocacy, and community and institutional partnerships to fight for the health of you and your loved ones. Our litigation work creates meaningful change by both calling out bad actors and helping them improve their practices to be cleaner, safer, and healthier for the public and our planet. CEH is here to ensure that corporate profit is NOT placed over your health, and that the products you use and communities you live in are free from toxic chemicals.

In 2024 we took a stand against companies that were exposing us to the dangerous chemical bisphenol A, or BPA. Studies show BPA can be absorbed into skin in just minutes and can cause harm to our growth and development, reproduction, and metabolism—it has no place in the products we use every day. Thanks to years of hard work and persistence, CEH reached a historic agreement with 30 companies, such as Hanes, Adidas, and Fruit of the Loom, that will remove toxic levels of BPA from their socks, bringing the total number of companies we’ve reached agreements with to 51. Due to the success of our strategy with BPA in socks we are advancing this strategy now with coconut water.

In November 2024 we sent legal notices to several companies, including Vita Coco, Zola, and 365 Whole Foods Market for selling canned coconut water found to contain high levels of BPA. We are continuing to apply pressure to the entire coconut water industry with another round of legal notices that went out in January 2025. CEH will not waver—by continuing to test and monitor the products we use every day, we will stand up to the companies that endanger our health and safety.

When our research and testing find the presence of toxic chemicals in consumer goods, we are quick to act. As a result of our legal action, we successfully got NDEA—a cancer-causing chemical—out of Speedo’s swim caps, and NDMA—another cancer-causing chemical—out of Lululemon’s latex yoga mats. Our commitment to exposing the presence of hidden toxics and pushing for healthier reformulations creates safer products for consumers across the country.

Even when the fight to reformulate and make products safer is lengthy and complicated, CEH remains steadfast in our commitment to our collective health. Since 2019, we have worked tirelessly to get hexavalent chromium (hex chrome) —a known carcinogen and reproductive toxicant—out of leather goods such as gloves and footwear.

In 2024 we saw our efforts bear fruit with a precedent-setting, industry-wide agreement with 70 leather footwear and glove companies—including Columbia Sportswear, J. Crew, and DSW Shoe Warehouse—to eliminate hex chrome on the surface of their leather. CEH is proud to work and partner with companies and manufacturers to develop and implement safer practices for workers and consumers alike.

Additionally, we made important strides with corporations that endanger the health of our communities. In 2024 we filed lawsuits against three different companies—Entegris, Lubrizol, and AOC, LLC—for failing to report imports of toxic chemicals to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a violation of the Chemical Data Reporting rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

The Lubrizol suit involves hazardous chemicals used in some cleaning products that can be toxic through inhalation, skin contact, and ingestion. Entegris also failed to report the importation of over 400,000 pounds of phosphoric acid, which is used as an acidity regulator and preservative in foods and beverages, and is also added to detergents and many household cleaning products.

Most recently, we reached a settlement agreement with one of these companies—AOC, LLC—that failed to report the import of millions of pounds of toxic chemicals. It is crucial for the EPA to have complete information about the many chemicals moving through and being stored and used in our neighborhoods so they can protect communities from toxic exposures and our environment from chemical pollution. CEH will continue to work diligently to fill in these major gaps in reporting, acting as a national watchdog and advocating for proper enforcement and evaluation by our federal agencies.

Together with you, CEH remains bold and vigilant about protecting us all from toxics, both in the products we use and the environments we live in.

Green & Clean

CEH continues to accelerate the adoption of safer products across schools, governments, companies, and manufacturers to protect human health and the environment. Many institutions face challenges when navigating the shift to cleaner products—whether it’s deciding which reusable foodware is best for a school cafeteria, encouraging manufacturers to disclose chemical ingredients in products, communicating which single-use products are best if they can’t switch to reusables, or understanding why reusables are a better choice than compostable single-use items. CEH simplifies this process, providing guidance and resources to make sustainable purchasing decisions easier. We take a market-based approach through outreach, education, and technical assistance that guides our partners on the path towards greener and cleaner purchasing choices.

By leveraging institutional buying power, we are creating more sustainable supply chains that decrease the amount of toxic chemicals leaching into our bodies and environment. One way we do this is with Our GreenScreen Certified™ Standard for Reusable Foodware, which helps manufacturers develop safer products, and purchasers such as county governments or private businesses, to adopt them. Our certification standard has been accepted under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing as of December 2024. Two manufacturers have certified eight of their foodware products to CEH and Clean Production Action (CPA)’s GreenScreen Certification for safer reusable foodware in the past year. We continue to work on several additional exciting leads as we have begun partnerships with businesses to help them reach their sustainability goals in 2025.

Schools remain a major focus of our efforts. Our Ditching Disposables Toolkit has continued to be an effective resource for purchasers in schools nationwide. We released an updated version in 2024, showcasing our continued effort to grow and reflect as the market changes. This updated toolkit has been instrumental in promoting our expertise across California and the country to transition schools away from disposables.

Beyond resources, we also provide direct, in-person support to school staff and students to make reusables a reality. We support purchasers at 12 districts representing over 200,000 students through webinars, educational speaking events, and technical assistance. CEH is pleased to have added eight more districts representing over 163,000 students at 260 schools this year.

Specifically, CEH focused on helping 21 Bay Area schools on the road to reusables by providing them the actionable data and the support they need to make the switch to healthier options. Our results are ground-breaking: our programs have led to over 800,000 meals being served on stainless steel reusables and have prevented over 2.6 million single-use foodware items from being discarded into waste streams. This translates to over 53,000 pounds of waste redirected out of landfills. Our success in Bay Area schools is providing frameworks, case studies, and models for other counties and states to implement these healthier and more sustainable practices.

CEH is not only demonstrating how K-12 schools can eliminate toxic disposable foodware, but is also changing culture and policy around food safety. We know that students are already engaged and politically active, so it has been a pleasure giving them resources to fight for their right for safe and healthy food. Our Green and Clean Procurement team trained, coached, and escorted CEH interns and student activists to educate policymakers in California’s state capital for bill AB2316, which will ban toxic food dyes from school lunches. These students met with six legislators from around the state. The lawmakers and their representatives were floored by these brilliant students’ skills as they clearly articulated the importance of regulation on chemicals of concern. AB2316 eventually passed and was signed into law by the California state governor thanks to these efforts. More importantly, we were able to support these passionate students in being at the forefront of systematic change.

We are proud to continue making an impact through education, advocacy, and the power of purchasing. No decision is too big or small, because every choice has the ability to protect our health, communities, and world.

Improving Our Collective Health

CEH continues to be a force in protecting people from toxic chemicals. We lead the charge in environmental health to eliminate invisible pollutants that harm people and the environment, especially vulnerable populations. Partnership is crucial for effectively creating systemic change, so we work closely with ally organizations nationally to advance our shared goals. CEH is a core member of the Break Free From Plastic and Safer Chemistry movements, working collaboratively with lawmakers, scientists, educators, nonprofit organizations, business owners, and community leaders. We build and maintain relationships with community-based coalitions and groups to offer technical expertise and support existing community-led advocacy efforts.

Addressing our biggest health and environmental concerns requires creativity and persistence. CEH’s strategic approach avoids addressing toxics on a chemical-by-chemical basis, instead focusing on classes of chemicals. This strategy allows for the application of regulations and risk management practices to entire groups of chemicals to identify and address health and environmental hazards. We catalyze policy solutions and advocacy at all levels of government: local, state, and national. We have acted as public enforcers of California’s Proposition 65 since our inception in 1996. Holding violators of this important toxics labeling law accountable to the public has allowed us to create legally enforceable health protections. We leverage Prop 65 not just to warn consumers about harmful chemicals, but to drive companies to reformulate products or adjust manufacturing processes altogether, removing the burden from consumers and ensuring safer products for all—including those outside of California.

And it’s working! A recent study showed that Prop 65 has had a direct impact on our health. The study found that after the listing of certain chemicals under Prop 65, levels of those chemicals in people’s blood and urine decreased—both for Californians and people across the nation. For more than two decades, CEH has worked to ensure that companies do not replace one harmful chemical with another—like a toxic shell game. We advocate for reformulation away from toxics. CEH’s work has led to significant reformulation efforts in consumer products, prompting manufacturers to reduce or eliminate chemicals of concern from products sold nationwide.

We tackle chemical classes instead of playing “whack-a-mole” with each individual chemical, driving systemic change to keep you and your loved ones safe. Because Prop 65 is so important to our health and wellness, CEH is working to protect it, along with other existing environmental policies, from being undermined. For example, CEH is working with national allies to curtail an effort by the pesticide industry to pass the so-called “Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act” (ALUA), which would preempt Prop 65 when it comes to labeling and warning the public about the toxicity and effects of pesticides. In May of 2024, a Farm Bill was introduced that includes many objectionable provisions, including the ALUA, so CEH has been working to keep these provisions out of the legislation. Congress extended the expired Farm Bill until September 2025, giving CEH additional time to continue our important advocacy role.

CEH creates change and protects planetary and human health by both pushing for stronger regulations and removal of poisonous substances and toxic chemicals, and by standing in strong opposition and testifying before agency hearings when harmful policies are introduced. We integrate this approach with our unique strategy of testing consumer products for hidden chemicals while we educate manufacturers, government agencies, and institutional purchasers on safer products, standards, and formulas. This multipronged approach is yielding impactful results.

When the laws and systems in place fail to protect all of us, we will be the watchdogs and enforcers to prevent the erosion of our existing environmental protections. CEH has a history of holding every administration accountable when it comes to regulating dangerous toxics and improving our environmental health. We are steadfast in our mission to protect our communities and support decision-makers by leading science-backed approaches that center on prevention and remedy environmental injustice. No matter the circumstances, CEH remains strong and ready, with your support.

Press Page

Read some noteworthy press from last year

2024 Revenue & Expenses

REVENUE

EXPENSES

Donor Roll

"I support the Center for Environmental Health because I believe no one should have to worry about toxic chemicals in the food we eat or the items that surround us. Their commitment to protecting our health and holding corporations accountable is making a real difference."

Lendri Purcell

Donor and partner for over 8 years

"I give because I believe in supporting the causes I care about – and to show that even $10 a month can add up. If 1,000 people do the same, that is $150,000 a year. I was already giving elsewhere and know I could spare $30 a month to the causes I believe in, and CEH is one of them. Hopefully, it encourages others to join in too. Let’s be catalysts for change."

Anonymous Staff Donor since 2023

Individual Donors

Wendy Abrams
Harvey and Doris Adelstein
Kathryn Alcantar
Scott Aldrich
Mike Altendorf
Cheri Anderson
Anonymous (34)
Juliana Atlas
Karen Azoulay
Terese Baregi
Gwen Barrett
Kirsten and Michael Beckwith
Charon Biel
Shannon Bowen and Sean Cater
Sheila Brown and Farley Neuman
Megan Buck
Joe Burri
Sarah Burton
Lynelle and Dick Cameron
Lizet Ceja
Arthur Chen and Peggy Saika
Liz Choiniere
Stephanie Clairmont
Tom Cooper and Chris Engemann
Sonia and James Cummings
Dennis Cusack and Louise Francis
James and Linda Danforth
Elizabeth Davidson
Libby Davis and Sean Berthrong
Patricia Davis and Wesley Callender
Molly De La Vega
Haley Dengel
Mary Derks
Emily DiFrisco
Barbara and Craig Ditman
Ken and Mary Doane
Angela Dorsey
Katherine and Jared Doumani
Theresa Drake
Bobbi Dunphy
Katie Dunphy
Cheryl Eames
Ryann Eastman
James and Kathleen Eastman
Alexa Engelman and Keith Kowalczykowski
Diane Ensign
Adriana Espinoza
Steve Eustis
Frank Evelhoch
Stacey Falls and Steve Schnaar
Era and Donald Farnsworth
John and Joyce Feeney
Michael and Sandra Fischman
MaryAnna and Charles Foskett
Tom Fox
Erica Frye
The Gardner Family Charitable Fund
Lydia Garvey
JP Garza
Fenna Gatty
Sara Glaser
David and Diane Golin
Melanie and Michael Green
Ann Gross
Jane Grossman
Marion Guyer
Charlie and Susan Halpern
Jaydee Hanson
Liban Hashi
Mary Hauck and Lindsey Scott
Mandy Hawes and Theodore Smith
Daria Hemmings
Jarret Hendrickson and Bunika Mahathanon
John and Catherine Hendrickson
Julie and John Hendrickson
Eva Herzer
Davey Holmes
Hume Family Trust
Marion M. Hunt Charitable Fund
Holly and Richard Jones
Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn
Rachel Kaganoff
Tony and Julie Kahan
Rita Kamani-Renedo
Sheryl Kaplan
Farla Kaufman
Tara Klammer
Jackie Klein
Rachel Knowles
Gary and Michelle Kretchmer
Lars Kvale
Andy Larranaga
Victoria Leonard
Carrie Levin
Shanna Lisherness Griffin
Brenda Loveless
Jeff and Jesse Lowe
Aimee MacPherson
Stephen Marcus
Suzanne Marie
Martti Maunula
Lori McBride
Patricia McCormick
Jeffrey and Martha Melvoin
Kathleen Michels and Jerry Kickenson
Karen and Phil Milstein
Eileen Moncoeur
Theresa Nelson and Bernard Smits
Peggy O'Donnell
Hillary O'Neill
Lida Orzeck
Thomas Paper
Lee and Lori Peckarsky
Brian Pecson
Matt Petersen
Alexis Petru
Claudia Polsky and Seth Mermin
Becky and James Powell
MK Racine
Ann Rauch and Michael Goldblum
Nichole Richerson
Linda Rosenblum and Steven Swiryn
Robert Rosenheck and Cindy Capobianco
Melissa Rubio
Adrienne Sancho
Howard Sanders
Cecile Tekla Scandone
Cathy and Joel Schneider
Claudia Schuster
Daniel C. and Joanne T. Shively
Harriet W. Slive
Donna Staton
Margaret A Stevenson
Melissa Stuckmayer
Marlow Sudbeck
Shayla Thiel-Stern and Matthew Stern
Beth and James Thomsen
Alyssa Trumble
Tony Truong
Michael Tucker
Damon Van Beck
Gautam Wadhwani
Dianne and Ralph Warner
Sarah Wayne Callies and Joshua Winterhalt
Valerie Wayne
Nadine Weil
Michael Weinmann
Rachel Weinstein
Karen Williams
Joffrey Wilson
Katie Wimmer
Monica Zukrow

CEH Catalyzers

Special thanks to our mighty group of recurring donors, whose gifts help sustain our fight for a healthier future.

Joseph Adams
Anonymous (3)
Gabriel Cardenas
Pamela Evans and Thomas Smith
Lila Galindo
Kathy Gerwig and Mark Goldman
Susan Holloway
Jennifer Krill
Eddie and Mindy Leshin
Julianne Prescop
Julia Shaida
Donna Staton
David Wooley

Matching Gifts

Apple Inc.
Blue Shield of California
Electronic Arts
Mortenson
Raytheon Technologies
Texas Instruments Foundation

Corporate Donors

Amazon Affiliate Program
Kaiser Permanente
Lexington Law Group
Raimi + Associates
Sustainable Home Interior Design

Foundation Supporters

Altamont Education Advisory Board
Anonymous
The Bellwether Foundation
California Wellness Foundation
The Cedar Tree Foundation
Chrysalis Fund
Clif Family Foundation
Dylan Todd Simonds Foundation
The Firedoll Foundation
The Flora L. Thornton Foundation
Freedom Together Foundation
Glencoe Family Foundation
The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust
Jonas Philanthropies
Marisla Foundation
Mary E. Weinmann Charitable Lead Unitrust No. 2
Naomi & Nehemiah Cohen Foundation
The Roland W. Naito MD Foundation
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Vose River Charitable Fund

If you have any questions or edits to your recognition, please contact Gwen Barrett, Senior Director, Advancement and Philanthropic Partnerships at [email protected] or (510) 655-3900 x 303.

2024 Board of Directors

"CEH's work has a profound impact, creating healthier, less toxic communities for all of us. That's why I've proudly supported CEH for over 15 years. They're not just protecting the environment — they're protecting the people we love."

Tina Eshaghpour

Rob Rosenheck
Board Chair
Tina Eshaghpour
Matt Petersen
Ije-Enu Nwosu
Board Vice-Chair
Ansje Miller
Bobbi Dunphy
Eileen Moncoeur
Board Treasurer & Secretary
Dr. Vin Gupta

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Your gift supports CEH’s bold work to hold corporations, governments, institutional purchasers, and communities accountable for public and environmental health. The Center for Environmental Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the Federal Tax ID# 94-3251981

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