Toxics & Environmental Health

5 Things to Know About the Pollinator Protection Act

Pollinators play a vital role in our ecosystem and are responsible for one in three bites of food we eat every day. Unfortunately, pollinator populations in Vermont and around the country are being threatened by a class of widely used pesticides called neonicotinoids. Fortunately, earlier this year the Vermont Legislature passed the Pollinator Protection Act …

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2024 Legislative End of Session Update 

CLIMATE & CLEAN ENERGY  Climate Superfund Act (S.259)  Following a hugely successful summer of canvassing in support of making the world’s largest fossil fuel companies pay their fair share to Vermont for the cost of the climate crisis to our state – and a fall of building support for the idea with events in every …

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Vermont House Passes Pollinator Protection Bill

The Vermont House of Representatives gave its strong endorsement yesterday to legislation designed to protect bees and other pollinators in the state from toxic neonicotinoid pesticides, known commonly as neonics. The vote in the House was 112-29. The bill (H.706) has four main components: (1) it prohibits the use of field crop seeds (corn, soy, …

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Pollinator supporters swarm the State House to urge legislators to protect bees from toxic pesticides

Dozens of beekeepers, students, conservationists, environmental advocates, and pollinator enthusiasts of all sorts gathered at the State House to make the case for providing greater protections for bees and other pollinators. A key legislative committee took up the bill (H.706) with hopes of passing it, but at the end of the day the vote was …

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2024 Legislative Priorities

VPIRG is pursuing action on multiple fronts in the 2024 legislative session. From climate to consumer protection and toxics to democracy, we’re seeking progress that will improve the lives of Vermonters and demonstrate leadership at a time when that is sorely needed.    CLIMATE & CLEAN ENERGY  Make Big Oil Pay – Climate Change Superfund  Climate …

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Protecting our Pollinators: A Lakeside Chat with Charlie Nardozzi and Samantha Alger

If you’re anything like me, you probably enjoy spending time in or around the garden in summertime. I love to watch the bees, butterflies, and other pollinators at work. But it turns out bees and nearly all pollinators are dying off at an alarming rate. Without bees, much of our food supply is in jeopardy. So VPIRG is …

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2023 Legislative Recap

The 2023 Vermont legislative session has come to a close, marking the halfway point of the 2023-2024 biennium. The VPIRG team secured a number of significant legislative victories – shepherding some landmark public interest policies into law, while making important progress on other bills that will need to brought across the finish line in 2024. …

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2023 Mid Session Legislative Update

We are officially halfway through the 2023 legislative session, with both legislative and money crossover dates in the rear-view mirror. Our VPIRG team has been hard at work over the past few months pushing for common sense policies, from Bottle Bill modernization to ranked choice voting, and we’ve made great progress, thanks in large part …

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Key Committee Advances Bill to Protect Vermonters from PFAS and Other Toxic Chemicals

On Friday, the Vermont Senate Committee on Health and Welfare unanimously passed legislation (S.25) to ban PFAS and other toxic chemicals from products including personal care products, textiles, and artificial turf fields. The bill is supported by Vermont small businesses, public health and children’s advocates, and environmental groups. It now heads to the full Senate …

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REI Announces It Will Ban PFAS In All Textiles

New commitment follows nationwide campaign and state regulatory actions On February 21st, leading outdoor retailer REI announced it will ban PFAS “forever chemicals” (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) in all textile products and cookware from its suppliers, in a major update to its “Product Impact Standards” for its 1,000+ brand partners. REI’s restrictions take effect in the fall of 2024 for cookware …

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