EWG's Experts

Susan Little
Senior Advocate, California Government Affairs
Sacramento

Areas of Expertise

  • California legislation
  • Chemicals
  • Cosmetics
  • Lead
  • Children’s Health

Press Contact

To schedule an interview with Susan Little, contact:

Education

  • M.P.A., California State University, Northridge
  • B.A., Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara
  • B.A., Spanish, University of California, Santa Barbara

About

Susan Little works on children’s environmental health, cosmetics, water and toxic chemicals policy in California. Before joining EWG, Little was a grassroots organizer, a district aide for a California state senator and several members of Congress, a legislative consultant for a California assembly member, and director of a unit that produced legislative analyses for bills reaching the Assembly floor. In these roles, Little has worked to expand parkland, enact environmental and toxics-related proposals, and direct legislative analysis.

Videos

In the News

“We can instead choose to be protective and prevent harm. Congress hasn’t updated regulations for the industry since it passed a federal cosmetics law in 1938. California has the fifth-largest economy in the world and is a leader in the makeup industry. If manufacturers have to comply with our state law, they would likely have to reformulate products sold throughout the United States.”
- Susan Little
“Cosmetics industry crushes bill that would have made makeup and hair products safer”
By David Lazarus
April 10, 2019
“Toxic chemicals that cause cancer or reproductive harm have no place in any consumer products, especially those that adults and children alike apply to their bodies every day. This common-sense proposal is exactly what is needed to clean up the cosmetics aisle so that Californians can be assured their makeup, soap and shampoos don’t include harmful chemicals.”
- Susan Little
“California legislators consider banning all cosmetics with cancer-causing chemicals”
By Miranda Green
March 19, 2019
“Our most vulnerable kids, the ones that are the most lead-poisoned, are not getting tested. The state is failing its mandate.”
- Susan Little
“California lags in testing toddlers for lead exposure”
By Elizabeth Aguilera
September 28, 2017
“These centers care for about 70 percent of the kids in childcare in California. We see it as a priority to go ahead and try to take care of their water situation, any contamination they may be experiencing. Many of our kids spend eight to 10 hours a day in childcare centers.… A large portion of their water is coming from those centers’ pipes and faucets.”
- Susan Little
“Bill Would Require Childcare Centers to Test Drinking Water for Lead”
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett
May 21, 2018
“The bill is precedent setting in that it’s creating a new standard for the nation for lead and cadmium in jewelry. We are harmonizing California’s law with those of others in Canada and the European nations as well as parts of the federal government. We will be setting essentially a new standard for the United States.”
- Susan Little
“Bill To Tighten California’s Already-Strict Laws On Lead In Children’s Jewelry Advances”
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett
May 7, 2019
“Given the well-documented damage that lead inflicts on young children, water served at child care centers should be tested for lead. Very young children easily absorb the lead they ingest, so it makes sense that we do all we can to ensure the water and baby formula kids drink is as safe as possible. We applaud Assembly Member Holden’s effort to protect these kids.”
- Susan Little
“Assemblymember Holden’s Introduces Legislation to Help Protect Children from Lead Poisoning”
By Sentinel News Service
February 14, 2018
“Lead in drinking water can lead to dire effects on young children, even at low levels, including behavioral problems and attention deficit disorders. Those faucets are the primary culprit.”
- Susan Little
“Lead found in CA school drinking water, state says. Is your local campus on the list?”
By Dale Kasler
July 3, 2019
“I give them kudos for having a better percentile for testing, but they still have outstanding 4,500 children that should be tested.”
- Susan Little
“High-risk California kids not getting lead testing”
By Deborah Sullivan Brennan
September 18, 2017

EWG Publications

California Continues Its Leadership in Protecting Kids From Environmental Hazards
November 4, 2019
Children Exposed to Lead in Drinking Water at Day Care Centers
August 9, 2018
California Moving To Boost Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs for At-Risk Kids
June 19, 2018
Update: Almost Three-Fourths of Medi-Cal Toddlers Miss Annual Lead Tests Required by Law
January 31, 2018
One-Third of California’s High-Risk Kids Not Tested for Lead Poisoning
September 19, 2017

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