This week, Congress released the final National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2022, which includes $517 million to clean up the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
“EWG applauds House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed and bipartisan champions in both chambers for fighting to protect service members and military communities from toxic PFAS, and holding the Pentagon accountable for cleaning up PFAS contamination,” said Scott Faber, EWG senior vice president for government affairs.
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the Senate homeland security panel held a hearing Thursday on a recent inspector general report that found the Defense Department failed to protect service members and their families from PFAS.
EWG released an analysis this week that shows the DOD is still providing water filters and bottled water to at least 47 communities it contaminated with PFAS.
Also this week, the Biden administration issued an executive order on sustainable purchasing that directs federal agencies to seek alternatives to products containing PFAS.
“EWG applauds the Biden-Harris administration for following through on its campaign promise to use the power of federal purchasing to address PFAS,” said John Reeder, EWG vice president for federal affairs. “We know the private sector is ready to step up to the plate. The administration’s new directive will help turn the tide against needless uses of PFAS and increase the availability of safer choices.”
And finally, EWG provided tips on how to save some money while food prices rise, plus offered some fabulous holiday gift ideas.
Here’s some news you can use going into the weekend.
National Defense Authorization Act 2021
Inside EPA: Democrats Seek EO To Limit PFAS Purchases As Senate Narrows NDAA
During a Dec. 6 webinar on the future of PFAS regulation, Environmental Working Group (EWG) legislative attorney Melanie Benesh said of the PFAS Action Act, “There is not a companion Senate bill yet. But the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is very interested in the PFAS issue and is actively working right now on their own package.”
Executive Order to agencies to restrict PFAS purchases
Inside EPA: Under New EO, White House Directs Agencies To Limit PFAS Purchases
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a longtime advocate of stringent regulation of PFAS, is commending the White House action restricting PFAS procurement, noting it applies to more than $650 billion of annual federal purchases of goods and services and provides a marketplace incentive for production of safer products.
Bloomberg Law: Biden ‘Forever Chemicals’ Ban Targets Cookware, Carpet, Couches
John Reeder, vice president of federal affairs for the Environmental Working Group, which advocates for strict PFAS regulation, said Biden’s order can be interpreted to apply to more than just carpets, upholstery and cookware.
Bipartisan infrastructure bill funding for PFAS
The Hill: 'Single largest investment in water infrastructure' in history pours into US states
PFAs are considered long-lasting chemicals that break down very slowly over time and are prevalent in the U.S. water supply. When turning on an average faucet in the US, Environmental Working Group considers PFAs like, “pouring a cocktail of chemicals.”
NJ.com: N.J. to get $169M for clean water under Biden’s infrastructure law
Previous groundwater testing there found PFAS levels up to 264,000 parts per trillion, making it one of the most contaminated sites in the nation, according to the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization.
Senate homeland security hearing on DOD inspector general report about PFAS
PBS News Hour: Why PFAS are so impervious, and who is most at risk from the forever chemicals
As part of a nationwide testing campaign, the Air Force discovered high levels of PFAS at three wells on its legacy property that provide drinking water to the Portsmouth region.
It is one site among hundreds nationwide. The environmental working group has documented 679 military sites with known or suspected discharges of PFAS.
Advocates also say the Pentagon must be more active in notifying retired firefighters or other service members who may have been exposed, some even decades ago.
“How many service members were drinking contaminated tap water? How contaminated? For how long? Have we alerted those service members about the potential effects of PFAS? If not, why not? When will we?” said Scott Faber, who oversees governmental affairs for the Environmental Working Group, at a media briefing on Wednesday.
KXAN (Austin, Texas): Padilla: 700 military sites have toxic chemicals in water
“Unfortunately, every step of the way it appears that the Pentagon and the Department of Defense are fighting against having to comply with more health protective clean up standards or drinking water standards,” said Colin O’Neil with the Environmental Working Group.
Body burden
On Feet Nation: Why It's Easier to Succeed With Custom Hairspray Boxes Than You Might Think
A study conducted in 2004 by the Environmental Working Group found that umbilical cord blood from 10 newborns contained chemicals used in consumer products, pesticides, and by-products from gasoline, garbage, and the burning of coal.
Build Back Better bill funding for PFAS
Spectrum News: Build Back Better Act would distribute millions for PFAS-free firefighting tools
“For local fire departments that are really concerned about the health of their firefighters, this is a real game changer,” said Environmental Working Group Legislative Attorney Melanie Benesh.
Inside President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act, which includes items from free pre-kindergarten to climate actions, there’s $95 million to help purchase fire supplies without PFAS. The House recently passed the bill and it’s being debated in the Senate.
Cleaning products
The Eco Hub: Eco Friendly Cleaning Products That Disinfect
Attitude Living All Purpose Cleaner Disinfectant…Certifications: Graded A on EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning, ECOLOGO Certified, and cruelty-free and vegan (Attitude is a member of PETA’S beauty without bunnies program).
Skin Deep® cosmetics database
Eat This, Not That!: Over 50? Never Make These Health Mistakes
Skin care products make a lot of promises to reduce wrinkles and fine lines but they may be hiding many ingredients that can cause "toxic overload" in your body and lead to chronic illness and faster aging. Refer to the Environmental Working Group, which rates products based on chemicals and ingredients.
I Read Labels For You: Are Glucosides Safe?
In my Shampoo Rating List, I rated this group of surfactants at 2 (on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the most toxic) versus 1 or 2 used by the EWG Skin Deep database.
Endocrine disruptors
Life Time: How the Ingredients in Personal-Care Products Can Affect Your Health
The FDA’s website states, “At this time, we do not have information showing that parabens as they are used in cosmetics have an effect on human health.” The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental research and advocacy organization, disagrees
Farm subsidy database
According to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) farm subsidy database, California is home to 3.4 percent of U.S. farms and received just 2.2 percent of all federal farm subsidies released in 2019, the last year for which a complete data set are available.
EWG VERIFIED®: Cleaners
Business Blog: How The Refillable Cleaning System Can Save The Planet?
Look at your casual cleaning product labels; most of them warn about possible harm if disposed of in nature. DutyBox tends to solve this problem by using only EPA and EWG verified chemicals that are safe for the environment but effective to clean any dirt.
EWG VERIFIED®: Cosmetics
Glamour: Michelle Pfeiffer’s Favorite Perfume Makes Her Feel Strong
One day I stumbled upon the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database, and finally there was an incredible resource for me to start to choose safer products, and rate the products that we were using.
Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2021
The Regulatory Review: Disclosing Gluten in Food
Consumer Reports has endorsed the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2021, as have the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Environmental Working Group, the National Celiac Association, the Celiac Disease Foundation, Beyond Celiac, and the Gluten Intolerance Group.
PFAS
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit dedicated to drinking water toxicity and other environmental concerns, also has a listing the 2,854 locations where PFAS…
PFAS and firefighters
Great Lakes Echo: Firefighters, environmental advocates push for safer foam
A study by the Environmental Working Group found PFAS-free foams are commonly used to fight class B fires at airports, chemical companies and military installations across the globe. The group says there is no reason to delay the switch.
PFAS in water
CNET: What are PFAS? The risks of forever chemicals in your home, and what you can do
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit dedicated to research and advocacy related to drinking water toxicity and other environmental concerns, also has a PFAS contamination map showcasing the 2,854 locations where PFAS have been detected in water sources as of August 2021.
Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce ™
Eat This, Not That!: 7 Ways You're Ruining Your Liver, Say Experts
Buy clean fruits and greens. Johns Hopkins nutrition specialist Lynda McIntyre recommends learning about the Environmental Working Group's classifications of the Dirty Dozen™ and Clean Fifteen™ with regard to pesticides."
Health Digest: What Is The Dirty Dozen?
That's where the "dirty dozen" comes in. The phrase refers to a list compiled each year by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), ranking the 12 (conventionally-grown) produce items that contain the highest levels of pesticide residue.
Brattleboro Reformer (Brattleboro, Vt.): Food For Thought with Kat | Organic omissions?
Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) compiles a “Dirty Dozen and Clean 15” list based on residual pesticide levels found in produce as reported by the USDA. As strawberries have topped the list for several years in a row, I go with organic berries whenever possible and steer clear of them if they’re not organic.
Everyday Health: 10 Expert Tips for Saving Money on Groceries if You’re Trying to Eat Healthy
Use the nonprofit Environmental Working Group’s annual Dirty Dozen list, which highlights the top 12 produce varieties with the highest pesticide levels, to help guide your choices when it comes to determining where your money is well spent on organic produce.
2021 Tap Water Database update
Mississippi Today: 1 in 10 Mississippians had illegal contaminants in drinking water since 2018
But overexposure to DBPs, which are widespread across the U.S., can damage a person’s liver and nervous system, according to the CDC. They can also increase risks of cancer and affect pregnancies, says an Environmental Working Group study that published in November.
The Environmental Working Group, based in Washington D.C., has reviewed data from numerous water systems across the country, including those in the area, and have stated that chemicals from those systems present a health risk. The EWG has set up a tap water database on their website, ewg.org/tapwater, to reveal analysis of water records from the country between 2014 and 2019.
The brand’s website supplies free water reports tapping U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environmental Working Group information to dive into the chemicals present in the water where people live, and it outlines the possible beauty ramifications of the chemicals.
KERO-TV (Bakersfield, Calif.): Frazier Park community still asking for clean water months later
“The legal limit set by the EPA is 10 milligrams per liter, a lot of studies are still showing risks as low as 1 milligram per liter and the health guideline that EWG supports based on a peer-review study of multiple studies is just .14 of milligrams per liter,” said EWG Science Analyst, Sydney Evans.