Reports

The Truth About Toxic PFAS Chemicals—and How Retailers Are Responding

News and Updates, Reports, Toxics & Environmental Health / By

Recent headlines like “95 Million Americans Have PFAS-Laced Drinking Water” underscore the alarming prevalence of toxic PFAS chemicals—also known as “forever chemicals”—in our food, bodies, and environment. From drinking water contamination to game meat consumption advisories, the evidence is clear: PFAS are a widespread problem and a threat to human health.  What’s less clear—until now—is …

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‘Tis the Season for Less Plastic

News and Updates, Press Releases, Reports, Toxics & Environmental Health, Zero Waste / By

VPIRG report provides consumers with tips for avoiding excessive and potentially toxic plastic packaging and products this holiday season. Nowhere on Earth is free from plastic pollution these days, from the highest mountaintops to the deepest ocean canyons. The problem gets worse each year and seems to peak during the holiday season when household trash …

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Read the 33rd Annual Trouble in Toyland Report

News and Updates, Reports, Resources, Toxics & Environmental Health / By

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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Study Finds Toxic Chemicals in Food Wrappers

Issues, News and Updates, Reports, Resources, Toxics & Environmental Health / By

A new study by the Environmental Working Group shows that chemicals closely related to PFOA, the toxic chemical that contaminated water in Bennington, are still used in some food wrappers. Since PFOA was banned from food contact substances, industry has shifted to coat food wrappers with similar chemicals with slightly different chemical structures, which are intended to …

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How Can We Better Protect Vermonters from Toxic Chemicals?

Issues, News and Updates, Reports, Resources, Toxics & Environmental Health / By

After PFOA was discovered in drinking water in Bennington County, VPIRG worked with members of the Legislature to pass Act 154, which helped address the contamination in the short-term and created a working group to evaluate how we regulate toxic chemicals and how we can better prevent similar situations from happening in the future. VPIRG’s Paul …

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31st Annual Survey Finds Recalled Toys in Online Stores

Consumer Protection, News and Updates, Reports, Resources, Toxics & Environmental Health / By

Advocates Identify Toys Containing Dangerous Chemicals Available in Vermont Some toys that have been recalled for lead or powerful magnets or other hazards can still be found in online stores, according to VPIRG’s 31st annual Trouble in Toyland report. The survey of potentially hazardous toys found that consumers should be wary when shopping this holiday …

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The Grades Are In: 2016 Retailer Report Cards

News and Updates, Reports, Toxics & Environmental Health / By

Every year the top retailers in the US are assessed based on their disclosure of harmful toxic chemicals that are often used in their products. In a country where over 85,000 chemicals that are not fully tested are regularly used in everyday consumer products, disclosure and arming consumers with the right to know is the most powerful …

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New report finds toxic BPA in two out of three tested canned food linings

News and Updates, Reports, Toxics & Environmental Health, Uncategorized / By

VPIRG and members of the Alliance for Clean and Healthy Vermont co-released a new report produced by national partners today that found that the lining of two out of three cans tested contain the toxic chemical Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that negatively impacts our hormonal systems. Evidence suggests it may contribute …

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There is Trouble in Toyland

Consumer Protection, News and Updates, Reports, Resources, Toxics & Environmental Health / By

Read the 2015 Trouble in Toyland report to help you avoid potentially hazardous toys. For the past 30 years, US PIRG Education Fund and Vermont Public Interest Research and Education Fund have conducted an annual survey of toy safety, which has led to over 150 recalls and other regulatory actions and has helped educate the …

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New Report Exposes Food Industry Spin Machine

Consumer Protection, GMOs, News and Updates, Reports, Resources / By

As Americans become more conscious of what’s in the food they are eating and feeding their families, industrial food and chemical producers have been spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a public relations campaign to confuse consumers and drive the media narrative about their products. These are the findings from a new report issued …

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