Since its founding in 1996, CEH has used one of our strongest strategies–public interest litigation–to directly change corporate behavior and reduce exposures to toxic chemicals. Over 25 years, CEH has won hundreds of legal settlements that protect the health of hundreds of millions of people across the U.S. and the entire globe. Our litigation work falls into two categories: 1) consumer product cases, and 2) community exposure cases.

Our consumer product cases start by CEH testing hundreds of products each year and filing suit against companies when we find illegal exposures to toxic chemicals. For example, when CEH found elevated levels of lead in 13 brass mouthpiece products used on instruments like trumpets, our litigation forced the musical instrument sector to eliminate lead-containing brass mouthpieces or label them with a warning. For the community exposure cases, CEH partners with environmental justice organizations and resident leaders in low-income communities to monitor outdoor air for specific toxic chemicals. In addition to public interest litigation, CEH provides support for community-based power building to defend against illegal and unsafe toxic exposures.