Getting the lead out, 10 years after Flint
The Biden administration has taken the most significant step toward protecting our drinking water from lead since the start of the Flint, Michigan, water crisis a decade ago.
Clean water
Together we can protect the waterways that sustain our communities and our health.
Our waterways should be safe for swimming, fishing and drinking. But weak regulations and lax enforcement allow many of our rivers, lakes and streams to become so polluted they are no longer safe. This pollution, along with outdated infrastructure – like lead pipes in our schools – puts our health at risk. We need to work together to make sure our water is treated like the life-giving resource that it is.
The Latest on Clean water
STATEMENT: EPA releases $26 million to get the lead out of schools’ water
Statement: New rule will aid PFAS clean-ups
Updates
An underappreciated way to fight the opioid crisis AND keep our waterways clean
Featured Resources
Accidents Waiting to Happen: Factory Farms
Pollution in the path of Hurricane Milton in Florida
Accidents Waiting to Happen
Accidents Waiting to Happen: Hazardous Materials by Rail
The Latest
Major PFAS manufacturer will pay more than $10 billion for clean-up
A major chemical company and producer of PFAS “forever chemicals”, 3M agreed to a $10.3 billion settlement with public water utilities last Thursday.
Report: Polluters dumped ~200 million lbs. of toxics into waterways
Call to cut down water pollution as Supreme Court case, 50th anniversary of Clean Water Act, near
Advocacy groups, 48,000 petitioners demand Columbia Sportswear stop using toxic PFAS chemicals in clothing
U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) hosted a media conference outside Columbia Sportswear’s flagship store in downtown Portland on Thursday to deliver a petition, with more than 48,000 signatures, urging the clothing manufacturer and retailer to phase out the use of PFAS chemicals in their products.
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.
Campaign for Columbia Sportswear Commitment to Eliminate PFAS Launched Today
Today U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC launched a campaign to urge Columbia Sportswear to eliminate toxic PFAS in their products and supply chain by 2024. The campaign will engage everyday consumers through a petition drive and mobilize the public impacted by PFAS contamination.