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Last week, Walmart announced the launch of the Circular Connector, a new tool that will help brands access safer, environmentally sustainable packaging options.  Sustainable packaging initiatives have been on the radar for many retail giants in the consumer product industry, and for good reason: Packaging changes are often the easiest thing to change when trying …

Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was called out for falling short of its mandate to protect consumer health. The investigation exposes the agency’s long track record of failing to effectively act in a timely manner on several food safety issues, including heavy metals in baby food and foodborne illnesses from contaminated produce.  These …

Your skin color or the texture of your hair shouldn’t put you at greater risk of exposure to toxic chemicals. It's time for brands and retailers to act.

Maricel Maffini, consultant and Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director This blog is the fourth in our Broken GRAS series where we explore the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) voluntary notification system for novel chemicals added to food, how the process works in practice, and why it is broken. Companies voluntarily …

Maria Doa, Senior Director, Chemicals Policy This week Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) filed comments on EPA’s plan to assess the risks to frontline communities from nearby releases of chemicals to the air and water. The EPA’s proposal is an improvement from the previous administration, which failed to follow the requirements of the Toxic Substances Control …

Jennifer Ortega, Research Analyst, and Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director At the start of this year, Childhood Lead Action Project (CLAP), South Providence Neighborhood Association, Direct Action for Rights and Equality, National Center for Healthy Housing, and EDF submitted an administrative civil rights complaint to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against Providence Water Supply Board …

Here’s how companies can ensure that everyone - regardless of race - has equal access to safe products.

Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals It is always worth keeping an eye on the latest U.S. data on blood lead levels in children. While no amount of lead is safe, it is nice to see lower levels reported in findings released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) late last year. In …

Large retailers in the beauty space, like Walmart, Amazon and Target, have launched accelerator programs to help smaller companies grow their brands. While accelerator programs differ company-to-company, many provide access to funds, networking, mentorship, training, and marketing opportunities. But only a small percent include a specific focus on a critical area: Sustainability. Retailers are setting …

By Samantha Liskow, Lead Counsel, Health EPA has started to fulfill its promise to take another look at many of the chemical risk findings made during the Trump Administration. First up was “HBCD,” a collection of flame retardants present in many goods, including building insulation, furniture, and electronics. In its revised risk determination for the …

By Maria Doa, Senior Director, Chemicals Policy, and Lariah Edwards, Ph.D., EDF-George Washington University Postdoctoral Fellow EPA recently asked its Science Advisory Board to provide advice on how it can incorporate cumulative impact assessments into its decisions making and on research to support cumulative impact assessments. At a public meeting of the SAB on March …

Maria Doa, Senior Director, Chemicals Policy; Lauren Ellis, Research Analyst; and Lariah Edwards, Post-Doctoral Fellow EDF this week sent EPA a letter identifying opportunities for the agency to improve the effectiveness and transparency of its strategy for testing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). EPA unveiled its National PFAS Testing Strategy (Testing Strategy) last fall, laying …

Mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants is extremely dangerous — it causes brain damage in babies and is associated with heart disease and many other serious health issues. Fortunately, mercury pollution has fallen significantly since EPA finalized the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards in 2012. However, despite the success of the standards in reducing pollution …

Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals. The U.S. Senate today voted to return Robert Califf to the role of FDA Commissioner, bringing needed leadership to an agency that plays a vital role in protecting public health.  While Dr. Califf faces historic challenges in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic, he also …

EDF and coalition of experts petition FDA to set strict new limits on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging and plastics that contact food.

Terry Hyland, Communications Manager Many parents have experienced that foreboding sense of what might come next as they watch their child indulge in a decadent treat at a holiday gathering or birthday party. All that sugar means things are about to get a little crazy, right? While sugar has its own issues, perhaps the source …

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director The Cincinnati City Council has voted unanimously to authorize Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) to pay 100% of the cost of replacing private lead service lines (LSLs) that bring drinking water to customers’ homes and other buildings. The Council’s December vote supports its larger strategy to “provide quality healthy housing …

Jennifer Ortega, Research Analyst, Environmental Health This past Wednesday, Rhode Island’s Childhood Lead Action Project (CLAP) led a coalition of groups in submitting a civil rights complaint to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against the Providence Water Supply Board (Providence Water), pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The administrative complaint highlights the discriminatory …

Lauren Ellis, Research Analyst, Environmental Health  We recently submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a subset of proposed Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) published by the New Chemicals program under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). We commend EPA for issuing these proposed SNURs. Our review of some of the SNURs, however, raised concerns about chemical releases to the environment, risks to consumers,

Maricel Maffini, consultant and Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director This blog is the third in our Broken GRAS series where we explore how the Food and Drug Administration’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) voluntary notification system for novel chemicals added to food works in practice and why it is broken. In this blog, we examine …

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director and Lindsay McCormick, Program Manager  Dr. Karen Baehler and her team at American University’s Center for Environmental Policy, with support from EDF, recently published a peer-reviewed case study highlighting the environmental justice issues that arise when water utilities require property owners to pay when they replace lead service lines (LSLs) that connect …

Maricel Maffini, consultant, and Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director A federal district court this fall ruled that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the authority to allow food companies to make Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) safety determinations for novel chemicals added to food without notifying the agency. The decision followed a lawsuit by …

Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals EDF this week submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), applauding the agency’s recent activities related to its Closer to Zero Action Plan for reducing toxic elements in children’s food and outlining specific steps to strengthen the FDA’s action. The agency’s November 18 public meeting on the …

EDF co-authored a peer-reviewed case study highlighting the environmental justice issues that arise when water utilities require property owners to pay when they replace lead service lines (LSLs) that connect homes to the water main under the street.

EDF Statement from Senior Director of Chemical Policy, Maria Doa