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The Latest by Raviya Ismail

Press Secretary

Raviya was a press secretary at Earthjustice in the Washington, D.C. office from 2008 to 2014, working on issues including federal rulemakings, energy efficiency laws and coal ash pollution.

September 5, 2013

What is CSAPR Anyway?

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

CSAPR would identify the emissions within 27 states in the U.S. that affect the ability of neighboring and downwind states to achieve cleaner air. The rule would substantially reduce the adverse air quality impacts of these emissions transported across state lines.

August 1, 2013

Sen. Boxer Specifies Changes to Weak Toxics Law

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

Yes, there are tons of chemicals we as Americans are exposed to on a daily basis that are dangerous and harmful to our health. Thankfully, some elected officials understand this concern. Wednesday, after she convened a hearing in the Environment and Public Works Committee, Chairman Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) said: Now that we have concluded …

July 15, 2013

Farmworker Mother To EPA: We Deserve Protections

By Raviya Ismail  /  Florida Office & Washington, D.C. Office

This is the second in a two part series on protections for farmworkers from pesticides. Read part one, Pesticides Taking Toll on Farmworkers, and the accompanying special feature, Pesticides: The Workplace Hazard The EPA Is Ignoring.   Nobody told Reina Lemus de Zelaya that her job as a farmworker was hazardous not only to her …

July 15, 2013

Pesticides Taking Toll on Farmworkers

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

Farmworkers from across the nation come to D.C. to secure safeguards from toxic pesticides

June 11, 2013

Losing a Champion for Air, Water and Land

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

There was a time that airline travel exposed passengers to a deadly peril: secondhand cigarette smoke. Not so for more than 25 years now, thanks to the dogged persistence of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who pushed for and successfully passed a smoking prohibition on flights which led to smoke-free workplaces and other areas. Last week Sen. …

May 15, 2013

Advocates From 50 States Call for Health Standards

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

When our elected officials continue standing in the way of clean air and water—it’s time to shake things up. Which is why more than 100 physicians, tribal and labor leaders, clergy, nurses and parents are in Washington, D.C., for a 3-day visit with Congress, united as 50 States United for Healthy Air. This legion of …

Inefficient electricity distribution transformers add up to large amounts of wasted energy.
April 19, 2013

Unplugged: Improving Energy Efficiency a Gray Box at a Time

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

In 2007, we filed a lawsuit challenging the Bush administration’s weak energy efficiency standards for electricity distribution transformers, those gray boxes mounted on utility poles that power all our homes and businesses. The results of that lawsuit are new standards from the U.S. Department of Energy that were published in the Federal Register on Thursday. …

Just sitting on a couch can accelerate the release of flame retardant chemicals, which are harmful to human health.
April 16, 2013

Outdated Toxics Law Exposes Americans to Many Chemicals

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

Just sitting on a couch can accelerate the release of flame retardant chemicals, which are harmful to human health. And no one should think they are safe from these chemicals—a CDC test analyzing blood samples from 2003 and 2004, finding that 97 percent of Americans carry flame retardants in their blood.

April 10, 2013

Sen. Lautenberg Introduces Toxic Chemical Overhaul

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

Americans need a law that will keep them safe from toxic chemicals—before they are allowed to enter the market. And that’s why we should be thanking Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Today, Sen. Lautenberg and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), joined by 27 other senators, introduced the “Safe Chemicals Act of 2013,” a landmark bill that seeks …

February 27, 2013

Methane: It's Not Just From Cows

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

With the fracking boom building, natural gas is touted as a clean energy source. But the hard truth is that the gas drilling sector has worsened air quality in many areas.