Last week, Mayor Durkan announced a new pesticide Executive Order, which will hopefully reinvigorate the city’s efforts to reduce pesticide use. The order puts restrictions on the use of glyphosate, a pesticide identified as a probable carcinogen in 2015 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This means that glyphosate cannot be used on public lands, parks and playgrounds within the city of Seattle unless there are no other viable options and an application gets special approval from an internal team. The announcement is a step in the right direction, but further action is needed to meaningfully protect the public from the most hazardous pesticides. Continue reading
Seattle Ends Glyphosate Use and Reboots Landmark Pesticide Policy
Wall Street Journal exposé demands Amazon take more action on toxic chemicals
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Laurie Valeriano, the Executive Director at Toxic-Free Future, and Mike Schade, the Mind the Store Campaign Director at Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.
A blistering Wall Street Journal investigation should be a serious wake-up call for Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and the company’s senior leadership: it needs to focus on ensuring the safety of its products and protecting customers’ health. Continue reading
Next Steps in Tackling PFAS Chemicals in Washington State
It’s been a big year at Toxic-Free Future! After a decade of hard work and persistence, Washington state now leads the nation with the strongest law regulating toxics in products. Continue reading
House Passes NDAA Amendments to Tackle PFAS Contamination Crisis
CONTACT: Liz Hitchcock, 202-277-5678, lizhitchcock@saferchemicals.org, or
Laurie Valeriano, 206-200-2824, lvaleriano@toxicfreefuture.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with measures that begin to take action on the PFAS contamination crisis. This action by the House follows the Senate’s vote on its version of the NDAA that also included provisions to address PFAS pollution. Both bills included important provisions to phase out the military’s use of firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals, which has led to contamination of water supplies for millions of Americans. Continue reading
Opportunity Before Congress to Stop Military Use of Toxic Firefighting Foam
UPDATE: Both the U.S. House and Senate have passed versions of the military spending bill including provisions to phase out PFAS-containing firefighting foam, but with different timelines. The bill now heads to a conference committee.
The use of PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam is a major source of drinking water contamination, with PFAS chemicals contaminating the water of at least 1 in 20 Americans. A large amount of this contamination comes from military bases across the country.
New Study Finds Toxic PFAS Chemicals in Compost
Compost is a sustainable resource, it keeps waste from going into landfills, and it is nutrient dense, meaning it’s great for growing food and reduces dependence on potentially toxic inputs like fertilizers. But a new study finds that the safety of commercial composts that accept takeout containers is threatened by the presence of toxic PFAS chemicals.
Toxic food packaging at the grocery store?
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Erika Schreder, the Science Director for Toxic-Free Future, and Mike Schade, the Mind the Store Campaign Director for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.
There’s nothing like spending an evening on the couch with our families, binge-watching the Great British Baking Show and passing around a bowl of scrumptious popcorn. But that popcorn may be carrying a hidden hazard.
Continue readingWashington Attorney General Compels Amazon to Remove Toxic School Supplies – More Action Needed
Editor’s Note: this post was written by Laurie Valeriano, the Executive Director of Toxic-Free Future, and Mike Schade, the Mind the Store campaign director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.
Yesterday, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Amazon announced an important enforcement action that will keep brain-damaging lead and cancer-causing cadmium out of the hands and mouths of children. This follows an investigation that revealed consumers in Washington and across the country made at least 15,188 purchases of products with illegal levels of lead and cadmium from amazon.com.
Washington State Governor Signs Nation’s Strongest Law Regulating Toxics in Products
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2019
CONTACT: Laurie Valeriano, lvaleriano@toxicfreefuture.org 206-200-2824 (cell) or
Jamie Nolan, jamienolan@saferchemicals.org 410.463.9869 (cell)
(Olympia, WA) — Washington Governor Jay Inslee has signed precedent-setting legislation protecting people and orcas from toxic chemical pollution. Washington now has the nation’s strongest policy regulating toxic chemicals in products, a major source of harmful chemicals in our homes and environment. The new law prioritizes five chemical classes for action: PFAS, organohalogen flame retardants, phthalates, alkylphenol ethoxylates and bisphenols, and PCBs.
Continue readingWashington State Passes Nation’s Strongest Legislation Regulating Harmful Chemicals in Consumer Products
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2019
CONTACT: Laurie Valeriano, lvaleriano@toxicfreefuture.org 206-200-2824 (cell) or Jamie Nolan, jamienolan@saferchemicals.org 410.463.9869 (cell)
(Olympia, WA) The Washington State Legislature has passed precedent-setting legislation to protect people and orcas from toxic chemical pollution. Governor Inslee supported the legislation and is expected to sign it.
Continue reading