Several news outlets have reported local panic-buying of toilet paper for fear that the strike of International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) workers across the U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports will cause shortages.

CNN reported news of shortages filled social media Tuesday, showing empty shelves that previously held toilet paper and paper towels. However, the ILA port strike will have no effect on the supply of toilet paper and paper towels. The overwhelming majority of U.S. toilet paper consumption derives from domestic factories, which means it mostly arrives by truck or rain, not ship.

However, the strike will affect imports of perishable goods and exports for the toilet paper industry. The American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement regarding the recent ILA workers’ strike: “This strike will have serious consequences for the U.S. economy and the manufacturing sector, including industries like ours that rely heavily on port activity for exporting goods. Without access to ports, our member companies face tough choices, including whether to pause or shut down mills and facilities, putting high-paying jobs in rural areas at risk.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing October as Children’s Health Month. Every year, the EPA begins the fall season by raising awareness about the crucial role the environment plays in the ability for the nation’s children to grow up healthy and happy.

“Every child deserves to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live in healthy, thriving neighborhoods,” said Michael S. Regan, EPA Administrator. “At [the] EPA we are committed to making this a reality by advancing policies that reduce health disparities and ensure that communities have the tools to safeguard their children’s future and lifelong health.”

Children, especially in vulnerable communities, are susceptible to the damages of pollution and climate change. Their developing bodies are sensitive to toxins; where they live can increase their exposure to pollutants and poverty can impact their recovery from environmental exposures. Early exposure to pollutants can last a lifetime.

Recently, the EPA took these actions to advance children’s health protection:

• Launching the Kids and Climate Health Zone, a collection of stories and information about how climate stressors are impacting children’s health at various life stages across different regions of the U.S.
• Preventing exposure to “forever chemicals” by investing US$10 billion to tackle PFAS in water, establishing the first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS to protect over 100 million people, and initiating cleanup efforts at Superfund sites to protect children and public health.
• Reducing diesel emissions and creating cleaner air for children and communities by awarding nearly $900 million through the EPA Clean School Bus Program Awards to approximately 53 school districts to support the purchase of over 3,400 zero-emission and clean school buses, part of an overall $5 billion investment.

• Reducing exposure to lead in drinking water for countless families through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), which announced $3 billion to help identify and replace lead service lines, part of a $9 billion total investment to replace an estimated 1.7 million lead service lines nationwide and $50 million in funding to reduce lead exposure in schools.

• Finalizing a suite of standards to reduce air pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants and investment in the transition to a clean energy economy.

• Strengthening safeguards to protect families and children from lead in contaminated soil at residential sites.

Join us in celebrating Children’s Health Month. Get involved this October and learn more about children’s environmental health.