News & Commentary

Food Work & COVID: Farmworker Solutions for an Unjust System

August 16, 2021 Expert BlogUnited StatesMarisa Guerrero, Sara Imperiale, Margaret Brown, Sahana Rao

Farmworkers have long dealt with unsafe working and living conditions, low wages and lack of job security, disparate levels of food insecurity, and vulnerable immigration statuses—a dangerous combination of systemic injustices underpinned by racism in the food system. But as…

Why East San José Residents Are Calling for Action

August 13, 2021 Expert BlogCaliforniaNatalia Ospina

NRDC has joined forces with our partners the Cassell Neighborhood Association, SOMOS Mayfair, Green Foothills, SURJ @ Sacred Heart, Community Health Partnerships, and LUNA to help ensure that every concerned resident can make their voice heard about the serious impacts…

California’s Lead Problem: Partials Aren't Good Enough

August 11, 2021 Expert BlogCaliforniaCorinne Bell

President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda is a big opportunity for California to create high quality water-related jobs, to protect Californians, and to right the state’s course on lead pipe replacements.

Burned: Why Waste Incineration Is Harmful

July 19, 2021 Expert BlogUnited StatesDaniel Rosenberg, Dr. Veena Singla, Darby Hoover

As legislation to protect the environment moves through Congress, polluting industries are using greenwashing terms like "waste to energy" and "chemical recycling" to build support for a dirty and unsafe technology: incineration.

States Inch Forward to Protect Bees as Losses Get Worse

July 12, 2021 Expert BlogUnited StatesDaniel Raichel

Flea Collar Chemicals Are Poisoning Kids and Pets

June 26, 2021 Expert BlogUnited StatesMiriam Rotkin-Ellman, Tom Hucker

NRDC action has prompted PetSmart & Petco to stop selling flea collars that can harm pets and the developing brains of young children. The EPA and other retailers should act swiftly to prevent further harm.

DC Water’s Own Data Suggest Widespread Lead Contamination

June 25, 2021 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Valerie Baron

Lead pipes throughout the country, including Washington DC, leach and contribute to widespread contamination. Paradoxically, due to a confusing and inadequate system of safeguards, Washington DC is in compliance with federal drinking water regulations for lead.

Phase Out PFAS from Global Use

May 27, 2021 Expert BlogInternationalDr. Anna Reade, David Wallinga, MD

Women's health federation issues a global call for phase out of PFAS 'forever' chemicals, to address the mounting contamination and likely health problems they cause.

Big Chance to Get the Lead Out and Fix Water Infrastructure

May 12, 2021 Expert BlogUnited StatesErik D. Olson

There's an unprecedented opportunity to finally fix the scourge of lead-contaminated tap water, and to address our decrepit drinking water and sewer systems. But we must act now!

No More Secrets: CA Needs Community Pesticide Notification

May 7, 2021 Expert BlogCaliforniaMiriam Rotkin-Ellman

Living near fields where pesticides are applied is dangerous, particularly for children and pregnant women. However, the California communities who bear this burden are kept in the dark about poisons sprayed near their homes.

Brief Filed in Lawsuit to Protect Delaware River from PCBs

May 3, 2021 Expert BlogNew Jersey, PennsylvaniaMarisa Guerrero, Julia Jonas-Day

Water quality in the Delaware River is under threat of PCB chemical pollution from a proposed liquefied natural gas export terminal. To protect the river, NRDC filed an amicus brief in a federal lawsuit challenging the facility's dredging and construction…

Victory! Court Orders Ban on Chlorpyrifos to Protect Children’s Health

April 29, 2021 Expert BlogCalifornia, United StatesNRDC

A 15-year fight to ban the toxic pesticide finally comes to an end.

Governor Signs NY Family and Fire Fighter Protection Act

April 28, 2021 Expert BlogNew YorkAvinash Kar

New York has banned toxic flame retardant chemicals in mattresses and upholstered furniture.

CA Bill Would Ensure Safer Food Packaging

April 22, 2021 Expert BlogCaliforniaAvinash Kar, Dr. Anna Reade

The California Assembly took another step to protect Californians from toxic, “forever” PFAS chemicals by passing Assembly Bill 1200 (Ting) today.

Farmworkers Deserve a Bigger Say in Pesticide Safety Rules

April 20, 2021 Expert BlogUnited StatesAaron Colangelo

To promote equity, EPA must engage farmworker advocates in the earliest deliberations on new pesticide restrictions.

The Big Reveal: Hundreds of Health Studies on Next Gen PFAS

April 20, 2021 Expert BlogUnited StatesDr. Anna Reade, Dr. Katie Pelch

Did you think there were few health or toxicology studies of PFAS other than PFOA and PFAS? Think again! The PFAS-Tox Database, released today, was created by a collaborative group of scientists to provide you with easy access to the…

Methylene Chloride Deaths Highlight Need for EPA Action

April 19, 2021 Expert BlogUnited StatesDaniel Rosenberg

A peer-reviewed study published in JAMA Internal Medicine finds that 85 people have been killed by the dangerous solvent methylene chloride in the last 4 decades.

New Study: More Worker Deaths from Methylene Chloride

April 14, 2021 Expert BlogUnited StatesDr. Veena Singla

First comprehensive review in U.S. reveals more fatalities than expected due to deadly chemical—researchers urge action from the EPA to limit use of the chemical and prevent future deaths.

Lowe’s Bans PFAS in Fabric Protector Sprays

March 29, 2021 Expert BlogCalifornia, WashingtonSujatha Bergen

In a step forward for public health, Lowe’s has banned the sale of fabric protectors that contain toxic PFAS chemicals in its stores.

Spraying an Antibiotic on Citrus Groves Will Harm Worker Health

March 25, 2021 Expert BlogFloridaAllison Johnson

NRDC and our partners are suing to reverse the EPA’s dangerous decision to expand the use of medically important streptomycin as an unproven solution to citrus greening.