Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ)
The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981, originally known as the Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste. Established in response to growing concerns over environmental hazards, CHEJ was inspired by Lois Gibbs, who organized community efforts in Love Canal, New York, after discovering her child's school was situated atop toxic waste. CHEJ aims to empower local communities by providing resources, training, and strategic support to address environmental issues and promote public health. The organization advocates for social justice, economic well-being, and democratic governance, striving to create healthier communities. CHEJ coordinates various campaigns, such as BE SAFE, which focuses on pollution prevention, and Child Proofing Our Communities, aimed at safeguarding children from environmental dangers. Additionally, its Green Flag Schools Program encourages student engagement in environmental advocacy. CHEJ also leads campaigns like PVC: The Poison Plastic, which seeks to eliminate harmful plastics from consumer products. With its headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, CHEJ continues to play a pivotal role in fostering grassroots environmental activism across the United States.
Subject Terms
Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ)
IDENTIFICATION: American nonprofit organization established to assist local communities with environmental issues
DATE: Founded in 1981
When it was founded in 1981 as the Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste, the organization that became the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice was part of an emerging grassroots movement among people concerned about protecting their local communities from the harmful consequences of environmental hazards.
During the late 1970s, Lois Gibbs discovered that her child’s school in the Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls, New York, was built on thousands of tons of toxic chemicals. At the time, no national organization existed to help communities with environmental issues. With no one to turn to for help, Gibbs organized the Love Canal Homeowners Association in 1978 to protest the situation in her neighborhood. This experience and the legal battles that followed led Gibbs to found the Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste in 1981; the organization would later change its name to the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ). CHEJ subsequently grew into a national organization, with Gibbs serving as executive director. As of 2024, its main office was located in Falls Church, Virginia.
Since its establishment, CHEJ has remained a grassroots organization that focuses on helping communities coordinate their responses to environmental hazards. CHEJ seeks to assist local neighborhoods by providing necessary aid, information, resources, training, and strategic or technical assistance. In this way, the organization encourages individuals and communities to take social and political action.
CHEJ’s stated mission is to “build healthy communities, with social justice, economic well-being, and democratic governance.” This includes protecting consumers from hazardous or toxic products. CHEJ addresses its objectives through various campaigns and programs. Its BE SAFE campaign is a precautionary effort to prevent pollution, and its Child Proofing Our Communities campaign helps to educate communities about strategies for protecting children from environmental hazards. CHEJ’s Green Flag Schools Program for Environmental Leadership works with schools to educate students about how they can engage in environmental advocacy. PVC: The Poison Plastic is an example of a CHEJ campaign for safe and healthy consumer products. This ongoing national campaign is aimed at moving major corporations away from using PVC plastic, a substance that is harmful for both the and human health.
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