News & Commentary

Systems Based Ag Solutions Required for Systemic Ag Problems

October 29, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaArohi Sharma, Lena Brook

Now is the time for reimagining what our natural and working lands, and broader food and agricultural economy, looks like.

Mussels Help Keep Watch on Pollution in Puget Sound

August 20, 2020 DispatchWashingtonStarre Vartan

The humble bivalves, which concentrate everything from heavy metals to cancer drugs in their tissues, provide an ideal way for scientists to monitor nearshore water health.

More Work Ahead to Protect California from Toxic Pesticides

July 21, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaAllison Johnson, Miriam Rotkin-Ellman

The state's Department of Pesticide Regulation and Department of Food and Agriculture must end the use of toxic pesticides and invest in diversified organic and regenerative agriculture.

Toxic “Forever Chemicals” Came Between This Farmer, His Cows, and the Air Force

February 19, 2020 DispatchNew MexicoTim Vanderpool

The PFAS-laden firefighting foam used in training exercises at military bases easily slips into groundwater supplies, tainting everything around it.

Protecting California From the Realities of Nonfloating Oil

October 16, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaJosh Axelrod

AB 936, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on October 12, 2019, takes proactive steps to prepare California for the risks of a nonfloating oil spill.

AB 936: The Path to California’s New Oil Spill Protections

October 16, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaAnn Alexander

It is our fervent hope that the cleanup preparation measures required by AB 936 never become necessary, as California moves toward transitioning away from oil.

Landmark Victory: California Ditching Chlorpyrifos in 2020

October 10, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaMiriam Rotkin-Ellman

The bold move will protect children's health in the state and across the country—as well as get the ball rolling for other states to follow suit.

As the DOE Abandons a Toxic Mess Threatening the Columbia River, the Yakama Nation Fights Back

September 18, 2019 DispatchWashingtonLora Shinn

The DOE wants to dodge its cleanup duties by reclassifying the nuclear waste contaminating a site along Washington’s Columbia River. Not only is it a reckless move, but it may violate treaty-protected indigenous rights.

A Lack of Balance: Runoff and Harmful Algal Blooms

September 9, 2019 Expert BlogCalifornia, Los Angeles, New JerseyCorinne Bell

There’s a lot local agencies and regulators can do to help prevent algae blooms that threaten public health.

California on PFAS: Missing the Forest For the Trees

August 26, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaDr. Anna Reade

California is missing a huge opportunity to deal more comprehensively with a large class of toxic, ‘forever’ chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in our drinking water. 

Now's the Time to Fortify CA Safer Consumer Products Program

August 20, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaAvinash Kar

Breaking down SB502

Trump EPA Refuses to Ban Pesticide—Where’s California?

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaMiriam Rotkin-Ellman

California’s agricultural communities are continuing to sound the alarm for the health of their children, as a promised statewide ban on chlorpyrifos—a pesticide that harms children’s brains—has yet to go into effect.

Campaign Pushes for Fresh, Local Food at Dollar General

June 12, 2019 Expert BlogAlbuquerque, New MexicoSara Imperiale, Margaret Brown

A delegation from the Campaign for Healthier Solutions attended the 2019 Dollar General shareholder meeting to insist that Dollar General phase out toxic chemicals from its consumer products and source locally grown, fresh produce to better protect the health of…

These Texans Are Sick of Chemical Fires and Toxic Spills in Their Backyard

June 11, 2019 DispatchTexasTim Vanderpool

A community along the Houston Ship Channel ramps up its fight against heavy industry and lax oversight after another petrochemical factory blaze closes local schools and causes a spike in respiratory illness.

After Children Began Getting Sick by the Dozens, Parents Took a Hard Look at Their Town’s Toxic Legacy

May 30, 2019 DispatchIndiana, Massachusetts, North CarolinaSusan Cosier

The carcinogen TCE has been lurking in the ground beneath Franklin, Indiana, for decades. Now families are demanding answers.

Montanans Find Their Scenery More Precious Than Copper or Gold

August 15, 2018 DispatchMontanaLora Shinn

Environmentalists, the recreation industry, and lovers of the state’s great outdoors push back against new mine developments threatening their waters.

This Is How We Stand Up to Trump

December 20, 2017 NRDC in ActionUnited States, Washington, D.C., Utah, Michigan, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield

Meet a handful of the NRDC staffers who resisted Trump’s attacks and defended our environment in 2017—and who won’t stop fighting anytime soon.

Buy Cleaning Products? A New Law Has Your Back

November 27, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

Manufacturers will soon have to disclose what’s in the bottle—including toxic chemicals long omitted from packaging labels.

The Pesticide in Your Crisper Drawer

May 2, 2017 ExplainerUnited States, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield

Shown to be toxic to kids, chlorpyrifos is nevertheless still being sprayed on crops across the country—and making its way into our bodies. So why has the EPA refused to ban it?

The South Is Keeping a Closer Eye on Coal Ash

November 30, 2016 DispatchSouth Carolina, North CarolinaRobynne Boyd

Thanks to concerned citizens, the coal industry is making progress on how it handles its combustion wastes, but the toxic slurry is still a threat to groundwater.