Coming Clean Inc. (formerly the Environmental Health Fund) is a Vermont-based left-of-center environmentalist advocacy organization that supports increased regulation and taxation of businesses involved in product production and state funding of plastic-to-plastic recycling programs favored by environmentalists.

Background

The Environmental Health Fund, the predecessor organization to Coming Clean, was founded by activist Gary Cohen as a tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in October 1998 in Jamacia Plain, Massachusetts. According to its website, Coming Clean Inc. was later “founded” as such in 2001, though the organization remained registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under the name “Environmental Health Fund” until 2010. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

In 2013, Coming Clean, Inc. changed the address listed on its filings with the IRS to a location in Brattleboro, Vermont. ⁷

Reflecting these focus areas, the organization maintains five “teams,” which engage in coalition building and policy advocacy: “farmworker health justice,” “local food solutions,” “safe markets and safe substitutes,” “cumulative impacts and mandatory emissions reductions,” “chemicals, food/agriculture, and climate,” and “funder engagement and joint fundraising.” For instance, in 2017 the organization’s “farmworker health justice” team advocated for language in an Environmental Protection Agency rule prohibiting individuals under 18 years of age from applying certain pesticides. ^{8 9 10}

In joint coordination with the Environmental Justice Health Alliance, Coming Clean Inc. manages two advocacy campaigns. The Campaign for Healthier Solutions advocates for dollar store retail chains to implement corporate policies to not sell products containing certain chemicals and to stock food products grown locally (and in accordance with production processes favored by environmentalists). The Chemical Disaster Prevention Program advocates for the adoption of stricter language in the Risk Management Plan rule concerning at least 12,000 chemical facilities. ^{11 12}

Policy

In a Coming Clean Inc. policy paper prepared by Darya Minovi of the Center for Progressive Reform, the organization advocates for policies that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to mandate upgrades to steam cracking plants and suspend permits for plastics production and infrastructure projects; require natural fuel producers to pay a carbon tax on the “full amount of embedded carbon” produced by their activity; require state funding of plastic-to-plastic recycling ventures powered by alternative energy sources favored by environmentalists; and “halt” the productions of single-use plastic products. ¹³

Particularly, the organizations supports the Environmental Justice for All Act of 2021 sponsored by Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), which would, among other things, codify President Bill Clinton’s Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, which requires that federal agencies consider possible “environmental justice” consequences before undertaking an action. ¹⁴

Leadership

Judy Robinson is the executive director of Coming Clean. Previously, she was a grassroots organizer with the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition. ^{15 16}

Gary Cohen is the founder of Coming Clean Inc. and a member of its board of directors as well as the co-founder and president of Health Care Without Harm, an environmentalist-aligned nonprofit focused on health-care issues. ^{17 18 19}

1. Environmental Health Fund. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2010.

   https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/43429794/2011_12_EO%2F04-3429794_990_201012

2. “Coming Clean Inc.” ProPublica. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43429794
3. “Our Vision.” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/about
4. “EXPERT Q&A WITH JUDITH ROBINSON, COMING CLEAN.” Rachel’s Network. April 25, 2013. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://rachelsnetwork.org/robinson/
5. Ellison, Ayla. “Fierce 50: Social Impact honorees.” Fierce Pharma. October 2, 2023. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.fiercepharma.com/special-reports/fierce-50-social-impact-category
7. Coming Clean Inc. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/43429794/2014_10_EO%2F04-3429794_990_201312[/notre]

   Activities

   Coming Clean Inc. has four focus areas: “safe fields and food,” which is centered around agricultural policy; “Safe products and stores,” which is centered around retail and corporate policies; “Safe chemicals and facilities,” which is centered around commercial regulatory policy; and “building power,” which is centered around policies affecting energy sources favored by environmentalists. ⁶ “Our Work.” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 23, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/our-work/

8. “Farmworker Justice Team.” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 23, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/projects/farmworker-justice-team
9. Environmental Protection Agency. “Pesticides; Certification of Pesticide Applicators.” Federal Register. January 4 2017. Accessed October 23, 2023. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/04/2016-30332/pesticides-certification-of-pesticide-applicators
10. “Our Work.” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 23, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/our-work/
11. “Chemical Disaster Prevention Program.” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 23, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/projects/chemical-disaster-prevention
12. “Campaign for Healthier Solutions.” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 23, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/projects/chs
13. ^[1]“The Chemical Industry: An Overlooked Driver of Climate Change,” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 23, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/assets/media/images/Louisville%20Charter%20content/plank%201%20policy%20paper.pdf
14. “The Chemical Industry: An Overlooked Driver of Climate Change,” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 23, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/assets/media/images/Louisville%20Charter%20content/plank%201%20policy%20paper.pdf
15. “Our Team.” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/our-team
16. “Final Spotlight: Coming Clean and the Environmental Justice Health Alliance.” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 16, 2023.
17. “President and Founder.” Health Care Without Harm. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://noharm-uscanada.org/garycohen
18. Ellison, Ayla. “Fierce 50: Social Impact honorees.” Fierce Pharma. October 2, 2023. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.fiercepharma.com/special-reports/fierce-50-social-impact-category
19. “Our Team.” Coming Clean Inc. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://comingcleaninc.org/our-team