Toxics & Environmental Health

VPIRG: This Mardi Gras season, beware the toxic beads

Montpelier, VT — The Vermont Public Interest Research Group issued a warning today for all those who may be interested in celebrating Mardi Gras with necklaces of cheap plastic beads. The group’s advice? Don’t do it. Or at a minimum, take precautions to minimize toxic threats. Citing past research by the Ecology Center and VerdiGras,[i] …

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Senate passes S. 40, takes step toward protecting children from lead in school drinking water

  BREAKING: Earlier today the Vermont Senate unanimously passed S. 40 – a bill that will take a huge step forward to protect Vermont children from lead exposure. We applaud the effort and the focus of Senators to get this important bill passed. This bill includes the following: mandatory testing for all schools and childcare …

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VPIRG Joins Suit Against Trump EPA for Failure to Act on Deadly Paint Strippers

Environmental and public health advocates and the mothers of two young men who recently died from methylene chloride exposure today filed a lawsuit against Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their failure to finalize a ban on the use of the lethal chemical in paint strippers. The suit was …

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Get the Lead Out: Safe Drinking Water in Schools Toolkit

Our children need safe drinking water – especially in their schools. This may seem obvious – but unfortunately schools across the nation have tested positive for lead and other contaminants. In Vermont this past fall, 16 schools had their water tested as part of a pilot water testing program and all 16 found lead in …

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Read the 33rd Annual Trouble in Toyland Report

This holiday season, watch out for dangerous and toxic toys. The Vermont Public Interest Research Group today released its 33rd annual Trouble in Toyland report. The report found toxic amounts of boron in “slime” products and a failure by Amazon to appropriately label choking hazards. Boron can cause nausea, vomiting and other health issues. “No …

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Retailer report card shows what retailers are acting to protect families from toxic chemicals, many failing

A report released today reveals that major retail companies are making slow but meaningful progress at improving the chemical safety of the products, food, and packaging they sell, but nearly half of those scored — including every restaurant chain evaluated — have failed to take any public measures to help eliminate toxic chemicals from the …

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Montpelier: Vote YES on 4 to Curb Plastic Pollution

VPIRG has come out in support of Article 4 – a proposed charter change for Montpelier that would give city leaders the authority to address the growing problem of single-use plastic pollution. Specifically, the charter change, proposed by the Mayor and City Council, would enable Montpelier to regulate the sale and distribution of single-use plastics. …

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Press Release: VPIRG joins partners in urging the state to protect the public from harmful PFAS chemicals

VPIRG joined the Conservation law Foundation (CLF) and other partners in filing a petition calling for new drinking water standards in Vermont that better protect the public from harmful PFAS chemicals. The petition calls on the Agency of Natural Resources to implement water treatment solutions to protect Vermonters from the full class of PFAS instead …

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VPIRG launches Straws Upon Request campaign

Earlier today, VPIRG stood alongside business owners and environmentalists in the kick off for the Straws Upon Request Pledge, a statewide campaign aimed at reducing the number of single-use plastic straws used and thrown away in Vermont. The idea is pretty simple: businesses that take the pledge will make straws available to their customers only …

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Updated: Phil Scott vetoes S.197, medical monitoring bill for toxics victims

(Update 5/24/18): In yet another shameful display of putting corporate polluters ahead of Vermonters’ best interests, Gov. Scott vetoed S.197 – legislation that would have provided a modest step towards justice for Vermonters harmed by toxic chemical exposure by providing medical monitoring at the polluting entity’s expense. “The governor’s veto of S.197 is a severe …

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