Courtney Chilcote '09

Environmental Health Strategy Center of Maine, Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine
Waterville, Maine

January 2009

EHSC is a non-governmental organization that protects human health through their efforts to reduce human exposure to toxic chemicals, to promote safer alternatives to toxics, and to make the environment a public health priority.  The organization’s guiding principle is that everyone has a right to a healthy environment, which includes where people live, work, and play.  EHSC’s current focus is endorsing the effective implementation of the Kids Safe Products law in Maine and enabling the phase out of the most toxic chemicals in Maine. 

EHSC is an integral member of the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, which is a coalition of Maine organizations working together to raise public awareness about the health threats of persistent toxic chemicals and to promote policies to phase out these toxics and to replace them with safer alternatives.

During my month-long internship, I was one of the representatives of EHSC working on the Alliance’s Business Outreach Program to find local business owners that are supportive of the Alliance’s efforts.  The specific goal of their Business Outreach program is to ask local business owners to sign a letter to the Maine Chamber of Commerce urging them to support the implementation of the new Kids Safe Products Act in Maine.  As mandated in the Kids Safe Products law passed in 2008, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), along with other stakeholder groups, is working to identify the worst chemicals to phase out of consumer products first.  An important voice in these decisions will be the Maine Chamber of Commerce, because the Chamber will encourage the phase out of harmful chemicals from consumer products if it believes that the swift implementation of this law will help Maine businesses. 

As an intern, I tested out the Business Outreach program that the Alliance members had developed, which will grow into a more statewide effort later in February.  I made phone calls to businesses in the Waterville area.  Additionally, I walked around Downtown Waterville, spoke with local business owners about toxic chemicals in consumer products, and asked them if they were interested in signing on to the letter to the Maine Chamber of Commerce.  I developed my own set of “talking points” from materials given to me by members of the Alliance to plan what I was going to say when I talked to each business owner.  During the month of January, I was able to reach my goal of having five Waterville businesses sign the letter.

I am not the most outgoing person, and I am not always willing to make “cold calls” or to deliver a convincing speech to people that I do not know.  However, I think that this internship experience enabled me to overcome some of these fears, or at least it allowed me to practice these valuable skills.  Overall, I think that the Alliance’s Business Outreach program method is effective, and it taught me generally about how outreach works.  I learned that the basic goal in outreach is to contact those people that are already supportive and those that need more information before they can make a decision.  It is not useful to waste time on those people who are already vehemently opposed.  I also learned that the most effective outreach campaigns are straightforward with clear, direct, and accessible information.  Finally, I also learned about many specifics of the Maine Kid Safe Products law and its implementation.