EWG news roundup (4/23): EWG partners with EnergySage to promote solar, California lawmakers advance bill banning ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging and more

EWG joined with all Americans committed to justice and equality in our relief and gratitude for the unanimous verdict on all counts by a Minneapolis jury to convict former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.

This week, EWG announced a partnership with EnergySage, the leading online comparison-shopping marketplace for rooftop solar, to help Americans learn about and save with solar. Along with the partnership, EWG and EnergySage published our Guide to Solar Energy to provide resources and information on home solar installation options.

Installing solar or subscribing to a local solar farm will not only lower your electricity bill and clean up the air,” said EWG President Ken Cook. “It will also shrink your household’s carbon footprint and help move our country away from fossil and nuclear fuels.”

On Thursday, the California Assembly voted overwhelmingly to advance Assembly Bill 1200, legislation that would ban the toxic “forever chemicals” called PFAS from paper, paperboard and plant-based food packaging, and serveware.

Also on Thursday, a bicameral group of lawmakers in Washington introduced legislation that would allow individuals exposed to PFAS to sue manufacturers for the cost of regular medical monitoring to detect health problems associated with the chemicals.

“The diseases linked to PFAS exposure – cancer, reproductive harmimmune system harm and more – can take years to develop,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at EWG. “Allowing people who have been exposed to PFAS to sue for the cost of medical monitoring is critical to securing justice for the victims of PFAS pollution.”

In the fifth installment in our "None of the Above" energy policy series, EWG featured an analysis by Dana Drugmand and Carroll Muffett from the Center for International Environmental Law on why “carbon capture” will not reduce greenhouse emissions and should not distract from real climate solutions.

A recently published study by the top California environmental health agency found that children who consume certain food dyes are more susceptible to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other neurobehavioral problems. California Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) has recently introduced legislation that would require food manufacturers to include a warning label on foods with synthetic coloring.

And finally, EWG applauded Florida for banning the use of the highly toxic pesticide aldicarb. We also lauded Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) for introducing legislation that would require polluters to foot the bill for Superfund cleanup, and the United Mine Workers, the nation’s biggest coal miners union, which called for a just transition to a clean energy economy.

Here’s some news you can use going into the weekend.

Children’s health

Medshadow: The Dangers of Endocrine Disruptors

The Endocrine Society offers a  list of ways to minimize your and your children’s exposure to endocrine disruptors at home. The Environmental Working Group provides one as well. Some of the suggestions include: Read labels.

Aldicarb ban

Politico: Florida agriculture officials ban citrus pesticide approved near end of Trump administration

The EPA asked the court to remand the issue back to the agency without an immediate ban requested by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Environmental Working Group and the Farmworker Association of Florida.

Morning Ag Clips: FDACS issues denial of aldicarb pesticide usage

This approval was challenged in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Farmworker Association of Florida, and Environmental Working Group. Pesticides must be registered with the State of Florida through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and must receive approval by the department for use in Florida.

WUSF (Tampa Bay, Fl.): 'Extremely Hazardous Pesticide' Blocked By Florida Agriculture Officials For Use On Citrus

The Center for Biological Diversity, Farmworker Association of Florida, and Environmental Working Group filed a lawsuit, challenging the federal approval. In its filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the EPA said “it did not make an Endangered Species Act (ESA) effects determination prior to conditionally approving the use of aldicarb on oranges and grapefruit in Florida.”

Michal Freedhoff’s nomination to EPA

Chemistry World: Physical Chemist Tapped to Head Chemical Safety at US environment agency

Freedhoff’s nomination won praise from environmental groups and Democratic members of Congress whom she served. Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs for the non-profit Environmental Working Group, said Freedhoff is “well-versed in chemicals policy nuances, with a deep understanding of chemical safety law and chemistry.”

PFAS Accountability Act: Medical monitoring for PFAS

Patch (Hatboro-Horsham, Pa.): PFAS Bill Would Let Exposed People Sue For Health Monitoring

"The diseases linked to PFAS exposure – cancer, reproductive harm, immune system harm and more – can take years to develop," said Scott Faber of the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit focused on public-health issues including clean drinking water. "Allowing people who have been exposed to PFAS to sue for the cost of medical monitoring is critical to securing justice for the victims of PFAS pollution."

WHYY News: Bill would offer legal avenue for medical monitoring of PFAS exposure

A study by the Environmental Working Group, which is supporting the legislation, found some PFAS act in ways similar to cancer-causing chemicals.

Cleaning products

Business Insider: 11 natural cleaning brands that don't use harsh or harmful chemicals

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), these are common but problematic ingredients you should look out for and avoid while shopping for cleaning products:, Formaldehyde (respiratory irritant, carcinogen), Sodium hypochlorite (respiratory irritant), Ammonium hydroxide (respiratory irritant), Borax and boric acid (possible reproductive or developmental irritant).

Green Matters: Our Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning Guide For Earth Day

“U.S. law allows manufacturers of cleaning products to use almost any ingredient they wish, including known carcinogens and substances that can harm fetal and infant development," according to EWG. "And the government doesn’t review the safety of products before they’re sold."

Yahoo! News: Better At Cleaning: These 5 simple hacks will make your home healthier — and save you money, too

In addition to indoor air quality, it's important to ensure that the cleaning products you use are safe and healthy for use throughout the home. A study by the Environmental Working Group that examined 2,000 popular household cleaning products, found that just seven per cent adequately disclosed their contents.

Climate change

Real Simple: 'Climate Positive' Companies Are Taking Sustainability to the Next Level—Here's What That Actually Means

Quantifiable data is available through both in-house research and outside organizations including the UN, Dear Wise Earth, Climate Alliance, EWG, Greenpeace, and more.

Skin Deep® cosmetics database

E! Online: 21 Clean, Eco-Friendly Face & Skincare Masks

Moisturize and relieve your skin with this sheet mask from andLAB made from clean ingredients that are all EWG Grade. It's even great for acne-prone skin and sensitive skin.

Poosh: 12 Ways to Save the Earth

Look for keywords like “fragrance” and “SLS” and check your product safety on the Environmental Working Group Healthy Living App. Watch this video where Kourt and I go through ingredients to steer clear from so you can declutter your beauty essentials the clean way.

Byrdie: How to Clean Up Your Beauty Routine in 5 Steps

Environmental Working Group: The EWG's Skin Deep Database houses more than 70,000 products on the market. Simply search the product in question, and the database offers an ingredient-by-ingredient breakdown—you'll see a score for each one, as well as a detailed list of any potential sensitivities.

Endocrine disruptors

The Good Men Project: Did Don Draper Have More Testosterone Than Men Today?

But where will women find EDC-free lipstick? And how many persons know that some almond butters are contaminated with very high levels of an industrial EDC called acrylamide? Information on these products is available from the Environmental Working Group and my nonprofit organization HealthyLivinG Foundation but scarcely elsewhere.

Keep A Breast: Dirty Dozen: 12 Hormone-Altering Chemicals and How To Avoid Them

We’ve teamed up with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to bring you information about the twelve worst endocrine disruptors, how they do their dirty deeds, and some tips on how to avoid them.  For more info, visit our Instagram feed and EWG.org.

EWG VERIFIED®: Cleaners

Treehugger: Best of Green Awards 2021: Green Cleaning

A recipient of the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) verified seal, Healthynest products can be purchased by subscription or single order from the website.

EWG VERIFIED®: Cosmetics

Harper’s Bazaar Singapore: What Is Clean Beauty?

It is the first beauty brand from Singapore and South-east Asia to receive the “EWG Verified” mark from the world’s leading ingredient-safety police, Environmental Working Group, for two of its products.

Forbes: Michelle Pfeiffer On How Rolling Down The Windows Inspired The Latest Henry Rose Scent

At some point, after a while, I stumbled upon the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep database. They rate personal care products by how hazardous they are, and I just went down the rabbit hole.

Byrdie: The Byrdie Clean Beauty Pledge

We consider this a safe ingredient to include if the company can confirm the contaminants have been stripped (if it's EWG Verified, then you can trust it's good to go).

The Oregon Live: The best green beauty brands good for your skin and the planet: Earth Day

Follain has high-performance, clean products that work for blemish and oil control, aging and fine lines and uneven tone and texture that are EWG verified to not contain harmful chemicals and are also cruelty free, synthetic fragrance free and dermatologist tested.

Farm subsidies

The Counter: The Biden administration will pay farmers more money not to farm

“Overall, we think the changes are good, but also they could still be better,” said Anne Schechinger, senior economic analyst with the Environmental Working Group. CRP typically only takes land out of production for 10 years at a time, and many farmers opt not to renew after a decade—many of the environmental benefits are erased as soon as the soil is plowed under and crops are replanted.

Albany Times Union (Albany, N.Y.): $24 billion USDA pandemic relief program failed to help most farmers

“People who do specialty crops or even dairy, traditionally there has been less money for them than anyone else,” said Anne Schechinger, a senior agriculture economics analyst for the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that specializes in agriculture research. “(An) apple grower might not even think this applies to you. Or the payment rate is so low that it’s not worth your time.”

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa): What does “Jim Crow” mean? Your Call the Courier questions answered

A. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and his family received between $100,000 and about $400,000 in subsidies and/or Market Facilitation Program payments between 1995 and 2020, according to the Environmental Working Group’s farm subsidy database.

Glyphosate on oats

Eat This, Not That: Secret Ingredients Lurking in Your Bowl of Oatmeal

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) published a report in 2018 that said unsafe levels of the herbicide, glyphosate, was found in various oat cereals, oatmeal, and granola products on supermarket shelves.

Lead contamination

The Ledger (Lakeland, Fl.): 'It was beautiful': Rancho Bonito's neighbors say action is needed to protect environment

Karppe, Sherwood and other neighbors also say revelers in Rancho regularly fire weapons, scattering countless bullets throughout the tract over the years. Lead from bullets yields significant levels of contamination at shooting ranges, according to the Environmental Working Group.

Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change + Health

Livestrong: How Bad Is It Really to Eat Farm-Raised Salmon?

Farmed salmon has 16 times the PCBs found in wild salmon, 3.4 times the amount in other seafood and 4 times the amount in beef, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). And the prevalence of PCBs in farmed salmon is usually found in the Atlantic variety (those raised in net pens), Jaelin says.

PFAS

Winona Daily News (Winona, Minn.): Frank A. Bures: What are PFAS chemicals?

The lines of evidence are all indirect to date with no clear cause mechanism established for any disease. The number of studies actually done by DuPont and 3M over the years identifying health issues have been suppressed, according to an aggressive environmental group, the Environmental Working Group.

PFAS Action Act

The Hollywood Reporter: Mark Ruffalo Joins Michigan Reps to Show Support for Bill to Protect Americans From "Forever Chemicals"

On April 13, Ruffalo joined Michigan U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (a Democrat) and Fred Upton (a Republican) and Environmental Working Group's Scott Faber on a virtual press conference to show his support for bipartisan legislation that aims to protect Americans from PFAS, often called "forever chemicals."

Holland Sentinel (Holland, Mich.): Upton, Dingell introduce legislation to enact national PFAS clean drinking water standard

During a media call Tuesday, April 13, the representatives, along with actor and environmental advocate Mark Ruffalo and Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, said the legislation would spur the EPA into taking action against the chemicals in Michigan and across the U.S.

PFAS in water

General Health: PFAS Contamination: Legislation to Help Clean Drinking Water

According to a 2020 report by Environmental Working Group (EWG), tap water sampling from 44 places in 31 states turned up PFAS contamination. Contamination turned up on large metropolitan areas like Miami, New Orleans, Philadelphia and New York City suburbs.

La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wisc.): Frank A. Bures: What are PFAS chemicals?

The lines of evidence are all indirect to date with no clear cause mechanism established for any disease. The number of studies actually done by DuPont and 3M over the years identifying health issues have been suppressed, according to an aggressive environmental group, the Environmental Working Group.

CBS 4 Denver (Denver, Colo.): ‘Forever Chemicals’ Levels In Frisco Drinking Water Would Be Illegal In Three Other States, Residents ‘Shocked’

One question remains: what is the source of the PFAS pollution in Frisco? PFAS can be found in a variety of household products, and even your clothes. The Environmental Working Group also found PFAS in cosmetics.

Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™

Washington Post: Root to leaf and seed to skin

If you’re worried about pesticides, buy organic produce and wash it well. According to toxicologist Thomas Galligan at the Environmental Working Group, while some pesticides are absorbed by produce through the soil, others are sprayed directly during growing or after harvesting, resulting in more pesticides on the peel than inside.

Eat This, Not That: The #1 Reason Why You Need to Wash Organic Produce, New Report Says

This is still considered a step above conventional agriculture practices. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released its Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, which contains the Dirty Dozen list, aka the top 12 fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticides.

Eat This, Not That: The Healthiest Foods You Should Be Eating Every Day, According to Experts

"The 2020 Environmental Working Group 'Dirty Dozen' report found kale samples tested positive for 18 different pesticides," he says. "In fact, when the analysts crunched the numbers, kale and spinach samples harbored 1.1 to 1.8 times as much pesticide residue by weight than any other crop tested."

The Daily UW (Seattle, Wash.): Farm-to-table: Support farms, support the environment

The Environmental Working Group compiles an annual list of the “Dirty Dozen,” the crops with the highest pesticide contamination — apples are always near the top.

EWG guide to sunscreen

Absolute Seychelles: 95% of suncreen is damaging to marine life is yours ?, we talk to husband & wife team & founders of people4ocean about this global problem

It is the only FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) approved broad-spectrum sun protection ingredient, and unlike any other active ingredient, its concentration in a product has no limitation. It is also the EWG (Environmental Working Group) nº1 ingredient for sun protection.

Tap water database

People Magazine: Shazi Visram on How Parenting a Child with Autism Changed Her Career: 'My Son Is My Biggest Teacher'

You can also check the quality of your drinking water by going to the Environmental Working Group's website, type in your zip code and they'll tell you exactly what is in your water and what type of water filter to buy so you can protect yourself.

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