Media Releases
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
Report: One year after new federal law implemented, robocalls fall, robotexts skyrocket
A year after a new federal law aimed at fighting robocalls, the number of phone companies that have adopted the required technology has quadrupled and the volume of scam robocalls has dropped in half. But spam texts have increased more than tenfold as con artists and identity thieves find alternative ways to steal Americans’ personal information and money.
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.
Release: New policy in effect erasing paid medical debt from credit reports
Consumer tips on how to check your credit report accuracy
Report: Damaging methane gas pipeline leaks happen every 40 hours in the U.S.
Methane gas – commonly referred to as “natural” gas – has been piped through our communities for heating and cooking for a century, and for just as long, has been subject to dangerous leaks. On Thursday, WashPIRG Foundation, Environment Washington Research and Policy Center, and Frontier Group released a new report that finds from 2010 through nearly the end of 2021, almost 2,600 gas pipeline incidents occurred in the United States that were serious enough to require reporting to the federal government. That’s the equivalent to one every 40 hours.
RESOURCE: The 10 most polluting power plants in Washington
Ahead of the Supreme Court’s decision on West Virginia vs Environmental Protection Agency, a case that will determine the EPA’s authority to regulate climate pollution, Environment Washington Research & Policy Center and WashPIRG Foundation are releasing a new factsheet ranking Washington’s dirtiest power plants.
New analysis of towing laws shows only 16 states ban kickbacks to property owners or law enforcement
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.