VPIRG takes seriously the concerns raised by a former canvasser who made an anonymous post recently on social media, and we deeply regret any sense of harm they may have experienced while working as a canvasser. In addition to the specific accusations about a director in the office, the post included complaints about the culture of VPIRG’s canvass…
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Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law a nation-leading bill that restricts the sale of consumer products that contain toxic chemicals known as PFAS. Legislative leaders and organizations released the following statements in response. Senator Ginny Lyons, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health & Welfare noted, “Firefighters, outdoor enthusiasts,…
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Today, the Vermont Senate gave initial approval to legislation (S.20) to ban PFAS and other toxic chemicals from certain products. The bill is supported by firefighters, business groups, educators, public health and children’s advocates, and environmental groups. The bill will be up for its final Senate vote tomorrow, before being…
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On Wednesday, VPIRG joined with a coalition of 25 groups from around Vermont — representing youth, low-income, business, public health, environment and others — to announce a shared platform for Climate Action, detailing our shared policy goals for the 2019 session. In a press event at the Vermont State House…
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A major new scientific report issued by 13 federal agencies on Black Friday serves as a dire warning about the ways in which climate change threatens the United States – now and in the future. The National Climate Assessment comes out every four years, but this is by far the…
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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…
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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…
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Yesterday, Gov. Phil Scott vetoed the first major bill to reach his desk as a response to the 2016 discovery of the toxic chemical PFOA in drinking water in Bennington County and elsewhere around Vermont. The bill, S.103, was aimed primarily at protecting children from toxic chemicals in their toys,…
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VPIRG is urging all candidates for public office in Vermont to support a ban on so-called pay-to-play activity related to state contracts. Recent controversies over related practices have involved members of both the Democratic and Republican parties. Lt. Gov. Phil Scott recently announced that he would sell his portion of his…
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VPIRG joined a broad coalition of lawmakers and organizations at the State House today to promote public health, celebrate Oral Health Week and voice their support for legislation (S.20) that would expand Vermont’s dental workforce. S.20 would let licensed dental hygienists receive advanced training and become certified as “dental therapists.” These…
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