Media Releases

New report: Food for thought: Are your groceries safe?

Consumer alerts

New report: Food for thought: Are your groceries safe?

In a new report, Food for thought: Are your groceries safe?, CALPIRG Education Fund surveyed 50 of the largest grocery and convenience store chains nationwide on their notification practices and talked to experts about what needs to change to improve both communication and public safety.

Media Releases  

New report reveals most commonly sued car manufacturers under California lemon law

Consumer alerts

New report reveals most commonly sued car manufacturers under California lemon law

ALPIRG Education Fund, the Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS) Foundation and Frontier Group released a report on Tuesday that reveals the car companies that are sued the most and least often under California’s auto lemon law, compared to their market share, over selling seriously defective cars in the Golden State. 

Media Releases  

Consumer advocacy groups launch campaign to get Columbia Sportswear to phase out toxic ‘forever chemicals’

Toxic threats

Consumer advocacy groups launch campaign to get Columbia Sportswear to phase out toxic ‘forever chemicals’

  U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) launched a campaign on Tuesday calling on outdoor gear and apparel brand Columbia Sportswear to phase out the use of PFAS in its products and supply chains. Last month, the company received low marks in a scorecard report released by the advocacy groups. The report found that Columbia Sportswear has failed to adopt policies that ban PFAS chemicals or provide up-to-date, publicly available information on any ongoing efforts to phase out these toxic chemicals from their products.

Media Releases  

Interactive map shows widespread lead contamination in schools drinking water

Toxic threats

Interactive map shows widespread lead contamination in schools drinking water

Lead contamination of school drinking water is more pervasive than previously thought, according to testing data from across the nation published on Thursday by Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund on a new interactive map. The groups urged public officials to take swift action to “get the lead out” of schools’ drinking water.

Media Releases  

New report outlines how electric school buses could speed California’s transition to clean electric grid

Electric vehicles

New report outlines how electric school buses could speed California’s transition to clean electric grid

A new report examines how the transition to electric school buses, in addition to keeping diesel exhaust out of kids' developing lungs, could help speed up the expansion of clean energy by providing a critical source of reliable battery storage.

Media Releases  

Release: As bills from 2022 medical care arrive in mailboxes, patients should know their rights

Consumer alerts

Release: As bills from 2022 medical care arrive in mailboxes, patients should know their rights

 Patients who received medical care in January and February are starting to receive their medical bills for those services. That’s why, in recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, it’s timely to remind people to check their bills carefully and make sure they know their new legal protections against surprise billing.

Media Releases  

The hidden costs of ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’

Consumer alerts

The hidden costs of ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’

U.S. PIRG Education Fund reviewed data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and found that the most common complaints about “Buy Now, Pay Later” plans include hidden fees, high interest rates and problems when it comes time for debt collection.

Media Releases  

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