A Healthy Union

States have tremendous power to protect their residents' health. In the absence of adequate federal safeguards against pollution and toxic chemicals, state regulations are the strongest tools available to create safe, sustainable environments. The good news is, around the country, red states and blue states are taking up the charge.

In A Healthy Union, Susan Kaplan highlights examples of groundbreaking state environmental health policies, from advancing environmental justice in California to reducing chemical use in Texas schools. These successful policies share key elements, including state-university-industry partnerships, collaboration across government agencies, and strong environmental health education. Kaplan explores best practices in policymaking and advocacy, showing how to build on effective health protections, one state at a time.

Susan Kaplan, JD is Research Assistant Professor of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago. She previously developed regulations at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Washington, D.C., managed a state program to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites, and was assistant director of an energy policy group at Harvard University's Kennedy School. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Ensia, and other outlets. She lives mainly in Vermont.