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70 groups support action to get lead out of school drinking water by School District of Philadelphia
On May 4th, administrators from the School District of Philadelphia presented the 2022-2023 budget for City Council and announced a detailed plan to replace old water fountains with lead filtering hydration stations by 2025. Following the announcement, PennPIRG Education Fund, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, and the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality, released a letter co-signed by 70 community organizations.
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.
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.
New scorecard grades popular apparel brands on commitments to avoiding PFAS
PennPIRG Education Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (NRDC) and Fashion FWD released a scorecard on Wednesday ranking popular retail and apparel brands on policy commitments to eliminate a dangerous class of toxic “forever chemicals,” known as PFAS, from their products.
Burger King commits to eliminating toxic “forever chemicals” in food packaging globally
Restaurant Brands International (RBI), parent company of Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, announced Wednesday evening a new global commitment to eliminate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging used in its restaurants by 2025.
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.
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.
‘Hog-tied’ and fed up: New report shows dealership consolidation makes farmers’ lives harder
A new PennPIRG Education Fund report, “Deere in the Headlights II,” demonstrates the extent of the dealership consolidation problem, looks at the specific impacts on Pennsylvania farmers, and shows how Right to Repair reforms could dramatically increase farmers' repair choices.
Response to the School District of Philadelphia
New Study: Lead contamination common in Philly school drinking water
PHILADELPHIA -- PennPIRG Education Fund, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality (BCC) released a new report Wednesday reviewing data on self-reported samples for lead in drinking water from 65 Philadelphia public schools. Lead in the Water showed that 98% of the Philadelphia public schools tested had drinking water samples contaminated with lead, and 61% of all outlets tested across the district were tainted with lead. Outlets include water fountains, kitchen faucets, hydration stations, and classroom and bathroom sinks.