Policy, Prevention, and Protection: Opportunities for States to Lead on Toxic Chemicals and Plastics Policies
January 27, 2026 @ 10:00am (AKST)
This Alaska Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE-AK) webinar will examine how state and local policy initiatives are shaping the future of chemical safety and public health protection. Featuring Pamela Miller, Executive Director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics, and Gretchen Salter of Safer States, the session will explore how prevention-focused policies, community-driven advocacy, and strong coalitions are helping reduce toxic chemical exposures across the country. Safer States is a national alliance of environmental health organizations and coalitions from across the nation working to safeguard people and the planet from toxic chemicals, and to ensure availability of safer solutions for a healthier world. Led by state-based organizations, the alliance seeks government and corporate action that lead to safer chemicals and materials, and protection of public health and communities by transitioning away from harmful chemicals and holding chemical polluters accountable. Speakers will discuss Safer States’ role in advancing protective state policies, supporting transparency and accountability, and elevating health and environmental justice in decision-making. The webinar will also highlight the importance of research, organizing, and cross-state collaboration in building durable policy solutions that protect vulnerable communities and promote healthier, safer environments for all.
Featured speakers
Since 2005, Gretchen has been a leading advocate in the environmental health movement. Drawing on her experience as an organizer in electoral politics, she spearheaded campaigns in California to eliminate toxic chemicals from children’s products and advocated for programs that improved disclosure in cosmetic products and cleaning products. Gretchen was also instrumental in creating California’s comprehensive program to eliminate toxic chemicals from consumer products. Gretchen served as the California representative to Safer States until she joined the Safer States team in 2015. Since then, she has been advising lawmakers on chemical policies as well as building new campaigns and coalitions to further the creation of a just and sustainable economy. When not trying to save the world, Gretchen performs in local and regional theater and can frequently be found hiking the hills of the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two daughters.
Pamela Miller founded Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) in 1997 and serves as Executive Director and Senior Scientist. From 2016-2026, she served as Co-Chair of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a network of more than six hundred environmental health and justice organizations working in more than 120 countries, and is currently a Senior Advisor and Steering Committee member. She is a Principal Investigator for community-based participatory research projects in the Arctic supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.