This week, EWG released a new analysis that shows 10 counties in the Mississippi River basin received over $3 billion in crop insurance payments between 2001 and 2020. Those counties are among the insurance payout “hot spots” identified by EWG’s report and its companion map.
“As the climate crisis accelerates, it’s increasingly urgent that farmers adapt to the extreme weather already ravaging their fields,” said Anne Schechinger, EWG Midwest director and author of the analysis. “EWG’s report and map highlight hot spot counties where there are clear opportunities to help farmers make climate-smart decisions, like planting cover crops or retiring flood-prone land.”
The map highlights total crop insurance payouts, called indemnities, as well as payouts from the top five weather-related causes of loss in the Mississippi River Critical Conservation Area.
A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey has detected the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in public and private drinking water wells in 16 Eastern states.
Earlier in the week, the Food and Drug Administration released testing results for the presence of PFAS in food, which once again downplay the risks the substances pose to consumers, with findings that ignore potential exposures.
“Consumers are exposed to PFAS in their water and their food, and through household goods,” said Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president for government affairs. “But the FDA continues to ignore all of these routes of exposure when providing advice to consumers.”
And finally, utility giant Duke Energy indicated it may soon throw away hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars by investing in the emerging nuclear energy technology known as small modular reactors, instead of investing in cleaner and safer renewable electricity choices.
Here’s some news you can use going into the weekend.
Mississippi River Critical Conservation Area crop insurance "hot spots"
Red River Farm Network: EWG Releases Crop Insurance Data, Favors Conservation Funding
The Environmental Working Group has released a new interactive map of the 13 states in the Mississippi River Critical Conservation Area. EWG claims certain ‘hot spots’ received a disproportionately large amount of crop insurance payments.
USGS report on PFAS in well water
The Guardian: PFAS pollution led to contamination of US drinking water wells, study finds
“This should set off alarm bells for anyone relying on private well water,” said Scott Faber, vice-president of government affairs with the Environmental Working Group, which tracks PFAS issues. “One out of five people getting their water from wells could be drinking PFAS – that’s a big number.”
Asbestos
The New York Times: Ex-Worker Wins $36.5 Million From Company That Hid Asbestos Damage
Asbestos poisoning is the subject of the nation’s longest-running mass tort litigation and one of the most expensive. The Environmental Working Group estimates that 12,000 to 15,000 people die from asbestos-related disease each year.
Benzene contaminates personal care products
HealthDay: Why Is Cancer-Linked Benzene in So Many Personal Care Products?
Dozens of different spray products -- deodorants, shampoos, sunscreens, athlete's foot treatments -- have been recalled in recent months due to contamination with the cancer-causing chemical benzene… "We know in particular very low concentrations of benzene have been associated with increased cancer risk," said David Andrews, a senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group. "Benzene is very detrimental to cells, and can lead to direct DNA damage, cell death and ultimately increase the risk for cancer." Reprinted by US News & World Report; Honest Columnist; Impact601(Miss.); Index-Journal (Greenwood, S. C.); Tyler Morning Telegraph (Tyler, Texas); 99+ additional media outlets
Cleaning products
You can visit The Clean Essentials product page for a detailed ingredient list for each cleaner. All the products are free from volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are harmful to children and pregnant or nursing people. They also don’t contain anything on the Environmental Working Group’s restricted list.
Reader’s Digest: How to Make Your Bathroom Cleaner—and Greener
Pull out all of your cleaning supplies. Then, using the EWG website’s database on household cleaning products, assess everything and discard anything that no longer meets your standards.
Skin Deep® cosmetics database
The Penny Hoarder: The 13 Best Drugstore Eyeliners You Can Buy for Way Less Than $10
Maybelline New York Unstoppable Eyeliner…“This eyeliner will stay in play once you apply it, and it gets a green score from EWG (the non-profit Environmental Working Group).” Beauty products with a green score can’t contain ingredients with any health, ecotoxicity or contamination concerns.
Farm subsidies
From 1996 to 2013, several Bottomley-owned companies received more than $360,000 in federal farm subsidies, according to an Environmental Working Group database.
Healthy Living: Home Guide
Reader’s Digest: The 11 Best Organic Mattresses for the Sweetest Dreams in 2022
The Environmental Working Group notes that the best mattresses also have low-VOC certifications and no added fragrances or antimicrobials.
Nitrate in drinking water
Nitrate, a primary chemical component of fertilizer and manure, can run off farm fields and seep into drinking water supplies, according to the Environmental Working Group. Reprinted by Vance Airscoop (Enid, Okla.)
PFAS
InsideEPA: EPA Tightens PFAS Purchasing Guide, In ‘Powerful Motivator’ For Industry (subscription)
“A federal procurement mandate to steer purchasing toward PFAS-free products would help prevent PFAS from entering the environment,” argued one coalition of citizen groups, which included Earthjustice, Toxic-Free Future, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Environmental Working Group.
The organization, called the Environmental Working Group, called the CDC quotation “misleading,” and said the Australian study “does not exonerate PFAS.” The working group noted that multiple “authoritative” health agencies, including the EPA, have linked PFAS to serious health conditions.
Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™
Live Science: Celery: Health benefits & nutrition facts
Celery is known for being exposed to a lot of pesticides. For years, it has appeared on the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list of produce with the most pesticide contamination, sitting at 11 out of 12 in the 2021 list. EWG recommends that people wash their celery thoroughly, or buy organic if they can.
Health Digest: Fruits And Vegetables With The Least Nutritional Value
Celery might be packed with fiber, according to WebMD, but the Environmental Working Group lists them on its "Dirty Dozen" list because it's high in pesticides. Opt for sliced cucumbers as a satisfactory replacement.
Tap Water Database
GOBankingRates: 39 Supermarket Buys That Are a Waste of Money
Unless you live in an area where tap water is not safe (you can look these details up on EWG’s Tap Water Database), buying bottled water is nothing but a waste of money and plastic.
WDIV-TV (Detroit): New study looks at contaminants in Metro Detroit’s water
Local 4 gained access a new study from the independent Environmental Working Group that examined drinking water and its contents throughout the Metro Detroit area. Our teams analyzed the data, and found dozens of zip codes that had more than a dozen contaminants in its water.
Water filters
Consumer Reports: Water Filter Buying Guide
PFAS, found in hundreds of household products, are a growing concern. At least 2,337 communities in 49 states have drinking water contaminated with PFAS, according to a January analysis by the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization.
Popular Mechanics: The 9 Best Filtered Water Pitchers for Any Kitchen
According to the Environmental Working Group’s tap water database, the drinking water where I live may contain chloroform, bromodichloromethane, and dichloroacetic acid, among other potential carcinogens. Reprinted by MSN; Biz News Post; Honest Columnist
Wisconsin manure report
Wisconsin Examiner: Climate resilience, clean water pushed by Farmers Union
A recent joint report by the Environmental Working Group and Midwest Environmental Advocates found that in nine counties, the amount of animal manure spread over farmland far exceeded the limits recommended by researchers.