environmentalworkinggroupewg--2020-07-02--In Pandemic-Triggered Economic Crisis, Millions of Americans Struggle To Pay Utility Bills

In Pandemic-Triggered Economic Crisis , Millions of Americans Struggle To Pay Utility Bills The economic meltdown triggered by the coronavirus pandemic means that legions of Americans are struggling to pay their utility bills .
As with other impacts of the pandemic , the federal government has provided only limited assistance , leaving the states to deal with an unprecedented crisis , particularly for lower-income households .
The National Consumer Law Center estimates that 53 million Americans will fall 90 days behind on their electricity bills , with total past due bills , or arrearages , of nearly $ 19 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neil School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University surveyed households earning up to twice the federal poverty level , and found that more than one in five respondents had been forced to pay energy bills rather than buy other necessities like food and medicine .
Nearly one in eight hadn ’ t paid their utility bill the previous month .
Even before the pandemic , the Energy Information Administration reported that 30 percent of households faced some sort of “ energy insecurity , ” whether they have to forgo food or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in uncomfortable temperatures , or have received disconnection notices .
Roughly half of Black , Hispanic or Latino , and Native American households face energy insecurity .
In its first COVID-19 stimulus package , in March , Congress appropriated nearly $ 1 billion in funding bill assistance for low-income households .
But the National Energy Assistance Directors Association reports that the states asked for four times that amount to meet actual need .
Congress has yet to act on further support .
Nearly every state has imposed mandatory or voluntary moratoriums on utilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper ordered a moratorium , he also mandated monthly reports on arrearages from the state ’ s utilities .
At the end of May , the arrearages report from Duke Energy , the nation ’ s largest investor-owned electric utility , showed the severity of the problem in Duke ’ s home state – more than one in seven households with past due bills , totaling nearly $ 117 million .
In May , Duke and its fellow utility companies petitioned Indiana regulators to let them charge customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electricity they didn ’ t use during the pandemic , although residential demand has increased since the coronavirus outbreak .
This week , regulators denied the petition , which Kerwin Olson , executive director of the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana , called an “ absurd and self-serving request.
” Last month , Illinois provided a model for other states to deal with the arrearage crisis and the ongoing energy security challenges faced by lower-income households , which are disproportionately in communities of color .
The Illinois Commerce Commission , which regulates utilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people connected to utility service , addresses unpaid bills and sets up a process to address affordability .
Kwame Raoul , the state ’ s attorney general , said the plan will “ assess whether particular communities , including communities of color , are being disproportionately impacted by a utility 's disconnection and credit and collections processes.
” Among the provisions of the settlement : • Utilities must put up nearly $ 50 million to assist low-income households with paying down arrearages .
• Customers who have been disconnected must be reconnected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Payment arrangements , typically no more than 12 months , can be extended for up to two years .
• Over the next year , utilities will have to report on numbers of disconnections by ZIP code .
• Utilities are mandated to engage in a process to improve low-income energy programs .
Energy insecurity will not end once the pandemic is over .
Neither should efforts to ensure that all Americans are able to afford the energy that lights , heats and cools their homes and protects their health – and @ @ @ @ @ @

The economic meltdown triggered by the coronavirus pandemic means that legions of Americans are struggling to pay their utility bills. As with other impacts of the pandemic, the federal government has provided only limited assistance, leaving the states to deal with an unprecedented crisis, particularly for lower-income households.
The National Consumer Law Center estimates that 53 million Americans will fall 90 days behind on their electricity bills, with total past due bills, or arrearages, of nearly $19 billion. Last month, the O’Neil School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University surveyed households earning up to twice the federal poverty level, and found that more than one in five respondents had been forced to pay energy bills rather than buy other necessities like food and medicine. Nearly one in eight hadn’t paid their utility bill the previous month.
Even before the pandemic, the Energy Information Administration reported that 30 percent of households faced some sort of “energy insecurity,” whether they have to forgo food or medicine to pay bills, or live in uncomfortable temperatures, or have received disconnection notices. Roughly half of Black, Hispanic or Latino, and Native American households face energy insecurity.
In its first COVID-19 stimulus package, in March, Congress appropriated nearly $1 billion in funding bill assistance for low-income households. But the National Energy Assistance Directors Association reports that the states asked for four times that amount to meet actual need. Congress has yet to act on further support.
Nearly every state has imposed mandatory or voluntary moratoriums on utilities’ disconnecting customers from service. When North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper ordered a moratorium, he also mandated monthly reports on arrearages from the state’s utilities. At the end of May, the arrearages report from Duke Energy, the nation’s largest investor-owned electric utility, showed the severity of the problem in Duke’s home state – more than one in seven households with past due bills, totaling nearly $117 million.
In May, Duke and its fellow utility companies petitioned Indiana regulators to let them charge customers to cover the utilities’ losses from electricity they didn’t use during the pandemic, although residential demand has increased since the coronavirus outbreak. This week, regulators denied the petition, which Kerwin Olson, executive director of the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, called an “absurd and self-serving request.”
Last month, Illinois provided a model for other states to deal with the arrearage crisis and the ongoing energy security challenges faced by lower-income households, which are disproportionately in communities of color.
The Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates utilities, approved a sweeping settlement that keeps people connected to utility service, addresses unpaid bills and sets up a process to address affordability. Kwame Raoul, the state’s attorney general, said the plan will “assess whether particular communities, including communities of color, are being disproportionately impacted by a utility's disconnection and credit and collections processes.”
Among the provisions of the settlement:
Utilities must put up nearly $50 million to assist low-income households with paying down arrearages.
Customers who have been disconnected must be reconnected, with reconnection and late fees waived.
Payment arrangements, typically no more than 12 months, can be extended for up to two years.
Over the next year, utilities will have to report on numbers of disconnections by ZIP code.
Utilities are mandated to engage in a process to improve low-income energy programs.
Energy insecurity will not end once the pandemic is over. Neither should efforts to ensure that all Americans are able to afford the energy that lights, heats and cools their homes and protects their health – and can sometimes save their lives.


environmentalworkinggroupewg--2020-07-02--Tips for a Healthy and Safe July Fourth Holiday

For many of us , this Fourth of July might look different from previous years .
We ’ re well into summer , and itching to get outside to celebrate the Independence Day holiday with our loved ones .
This July Fourth weekend , be responsible and respect local public health ordinances and social distancing guidelines .
Whether you ’ re planning to stay at home to grill in your backyard , or heading to your nearest beach or lake for time outdoors , it ’ s more important than ever to make your health and safety a priority .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind this weekend as you celebrate .
Whatever your plans may be this weekend , you may well find yourself wiping down and disinfecting surfaces .
To help you navigate this pandemic while also keeping healthy living a priority for your household , EWG has prepared a guide to Avoiding Coronavirus the Clean Way .
By now , you ’ re probably familiar with proper hand-washing protocol .
As for surfaces , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency both recommend cleaning and sometimes disinfecting frequently touched surfaces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EWG has reviewed and screened government-registered disinfectants and sanitizers to find those that meet the high standards underlying the evaluations in our Guide to Healthy Cleaning .
Products on our updated list of 16 Effective and Safe Products To Guard Against Coronavirus have fewer concerns for ingredient toxicity and transparency than the majority of antimicrobial cleaners on the market .
If you plan to get outdoors , sun safety should be a priority wherever you go .
Sunscreen alone shouldn ’ t be your only form of sun protection , so it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimize sun exposure : • Find a shady spot to lounge under or use an umbrella to make your own shade .
• Plan outdoor summer activities for early morning or late afternoon to avoid peak midday sun , when UV rays are at their strongest .
• Protect yourself and young children by covering up with light , breathable clothing and hats that minimize exposure to UV rays .
• Make sunglasses a necessity on bright , sunny days to protect eyes from UV radiation .
Once you ’ ve taken these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put on the sunscreen .
Don ’ t skimp .
For the most up-to-date information , consult EWG ’ s 2020 Guide to Sunscreens , for which we assessed more than 1,400 products with SPF .
Don ’ t know where to start ?
Check out this year ’ s “ Best ” lists to search for a sunscreen that meets EWG ’ s criteria for safety and efficacy .
This year ’ s Best Beach and Sport Sunscreens and Best Scoring Sunscreens for Kids are a good place to start if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Traditional dishes and time with friends and family are what make holidays special .
What ’ s July Fourth without a classic holiday barbecue ?
This year , COVID-19 outbreaks at meatpacking facilities and other food processing plants have made meat products a more expensive protein source .
High prices and more limited options may have you introducing new traditions to your menu as you consider recipes that incorporate high-protein foods you might not have previously considered .
With the variety of plant-based proteins on the rise , they ’ re becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are even health benefits associated with consuming fewer processed meats .
Consider trying a new recipe as you celebrate this weekend – alternative protein sources might just become a staple piece of your future holiday celebrations !
Grocery shopping may be stressful , but it ’ s important to stock up on groceries that will keep your immune system strong to fight off illnesses .
EWG has prepared a guide to help you Shop Safely and Eat Well in the Age of Coronavirus , with useful tips and foods to add to your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And don ’ t forget to consult the Shopper ’ s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ to make sure you buy the best produce possible for your family .
Spending time outdoors ?
Bug bites are itchy and inconvenient , and may also expose you to disease .
Some ingredients in bug repellents are too harsh for young children , and some are toxic to certain types of pets , so make sure to check the label when identifying the best option for you and your family .
Keep pesky bugs away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Repellents to make smarter choices about what products you use .
Our guide can help you and your family stay safe this holiday weekend .
Enjoy a safe Independence Day weekend , regardless of how unconventional your celebrations may be this year !

For many of us, this Fourth of July might look different from previous years. We’re well into summer, and itching to get outside to celebrate the Independence Day holiday with our loved ones.
This July Fourth weekend, be responsible and respect local public health ordinances and social distancing guidelines. Whether you’re planning to stay at home to grill in your backyard, or heading to your nearest beach or lake for time outdoors, it’s more important than ever to make your health and safety a priority.
Here are some tips to keep in mind this weekend as you celebrate.
Keep It Clean
Whatever your plans may be this weekend, you may well find yourself wiping down and disinfecting surfaces. To help you navigate this pandemic while also keeping healthy living a priority for your household, EWG has prepared a guide to Avoiding Coronavirus the Clean Way.
By now, you’re probably familiar with proper hand-washing protocol. As for surfaces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency both recommend cleaning and sometimes disinfecting frequently touched surfaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19. EWG has reviewed and screened government-registered disinfectants and sanitizers to find those that meet the high standards underlying the evaluations in our Guide to Healthy Cleaning. Products on our updated list of 16 Effective and Safe Products To Guard Against Coronavirus have fewer concerns for ingredient toxicity and transparency than the majority of antimicrobial cleaners on the market.
Stay Safe in the Sun
If you plan to get outdoors, sun safety should be a priority wherever you go. Sunscreen alone shouldn’t be your only form of sun protection, so it’s important to take several precautions to minimize sun exposure:
Find a shady spot to lounge under or use an umbrella to make your own shade.
Plan outdoor summer activities for early morning or late afternoon to avoid peak midday sun, when UV rays are at their strongest.
Protect yourself and young children by covering up with light, breathable clothing and hats that minimize exposure to UV rays.
Make sunglasses a necessity on bright, sunny days to protect eyes from UV radiation.
Once you’ve taken these precautions, it’s time to put on the sunscreen. Don’t skimp. For the most up-to-date information, consult EWG’s 2020 Guide to Sunscreens, for which we assessed more than 1,400 products with SPF.
Don’t know where to start? Check out this year’s “Best” lists to search for a sunscreen that meets EWG’s criteria for safety and efficacy. This year’s Best Beach and Sport Sunscreens and Best Scoring Sunscreens for Kids are a good place to start if you’re looking for a new sunscreen.
Refresh Your Menu
Traditional dishes and time with friends and family are what make holidays special. What’s July Fourth without a classic holiday barbecue?
This year, COVID-19 outbreaks at meatpacking facilities and other food processing plants have made meat products a more expensive protein source. High prices and more limited options may have you introducing new traditions to your menu as you consider recipes that incorporate high-protein foods you might not have previously considered.
With the variety of plant-based proteins on the rise, they’re becoming a popular option for families. There are even health benefits associated with consuming fewer processed meats. Consider trying a new recipe as you celebrate this weekend – alternative protein sources might just become a staple piece of your future holiday celebrations!
Grocery shopping may be stressful, but it’s important to stock up on groceries that will keep your immune system strong to fight off illnesses. EWG has prepared a guide to help you Shop Safely and Eat Well in the Age of Coronavirus , with useful tips and foods to add to your shopping cart next time you buy groceries. And don’t forget to consult the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ to make sure you buy the best produce possible for your family.
Keep Bugs Away
Spending time outdoors? Bug bites are itchy and inconvenient, and may also expose you to disease. Some ingredients in bug repellents are too harsh for young children, and some are toxic to certain types of pets, so make sure to check the label when identifying the best option for you and your family.
Keep pesky bugs away using EWG’s Guide to Bug Repellents to make smarter choices about what products you use. Our guide can help you and your family stay safe this holiday weekend.
Enjoy a safe Independence Day weekend, regardless of how unconventional your celebrations may be this year!


environmentalworkinggroupewg--2020-07-14--High Levels of Bayer’s Weedkiller Found in Hummus, Chickpeas

WASHINGTON – Independent laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group found glyphosate , the notorious weedkiller linked to cancer , in more than 80 percent of non-organic hummus and chickpeas samples , and detected at far lower levels in several organic versions .
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world .
It was sold for decades by Monsanto , now Bayer AG , under the brand name Roundup .
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified glyphosate a probable human carcinogen , and the state of California lists it as chemical known to cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hummus samples exceeded EWG ’ s health-based benchmark of 160 parts per billion , or ppb , for daily consumption , based on a 60-gram serving of hummus ( about four tablespoons ) .
The Environmental Protection Agency ’ s woefully inadequate legal limit for glyphosate in chickpeas , known as a tolerance level , is 5,000 ppb , or more than 30 times EWG ’ s benchmark .
The conventional hummus product with the highest level of glyphosate – more than 2,000 ppb in Whole Foods Market Original Hummus – was nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 10 hummus samples exceeded EWG ’ s benchmark for glyphosate : three samples of Sabra Classic Hummus ; Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus ; two sample of Whole Foods Market Original Hummus ; Whole Foods Market organic-label Original Hummus ; Cava Traditional Hummus ; and two samples of Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Traditional Artisan Hummus .
EWG also tested 12 samples of organic hummus and six samples of organic chickpeas .
All but two contained detectable concentrations of glyphosate .
Although glyphosate levels in organic samples were much lower than those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chickpea sample had the highest glyphosate concentration of all samples tested in the study .
“ Beans , peas and lentils are a nutritious , affordable source of protein and an important part of the American diet , ” said Olga V. Naidenko , Ph.D. , EWG ’ s vice president for science investigations .
“ These excellent foods would be much better without glyphosate .
Toxic weedkiller should never be allowed to contaminate these products , or any other foods , that millions of American families eat every day.
” The beans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the study were purchased online or at major food retailers in the Washington , D.C. , New York City , and San Francisco metropolitan areas , including Aldi , Costco , Giant , Harris Teeter , Safeway , ShopRite , Target , Trader Joes , Walmart and Whole Foods grocery stores .
Glyphosate was first brought to market in 1974 , but its use exploded after 1996 , when Monsanto introduced genetically modified “ Roundup Ready ” crops that were resistant to the herbicide .
For consumers , most worrisome is use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a drying agent just before harvest .
This spraying can lead to high levels of glyphosate in beans , hummus , oat cereals and other foods .
By law , organic farmers are not allowed to spray Roundup or other toxic pesticides to grow and harvest crops .
The detections of glyphosate on the organic samples may be due to pesticide drift from conventional crop fields or contamination at processing and packaging facilities .
“ Organic foods , including organic hummus and chickpeas , remain a better choice for consumers , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ph.D. “ EWG testing of both conventional and organic bean products for glyphosate helps increase the transparency in the marketplace and protect the integrity of the Department of Agriculture ’ s organic certification.
” Hummus and chickpeas , as well as other beans , offer multiple nutritional benefits , and are an important part of a healthy diet .
EWG ’ s findings show the need for a ban on pre-harvest uses of glyphosate , a much stricter EPA standard , and increased testing by the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diet .
EWG ’ s research on beans and hummus builds on EWG ’ s tests of oats and oat-based products for glyphosate , which found the weedkiller in nearly every sample of cereal and breakfast bars tested .
The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit , non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment .
Through research , advocacy and unique education tools , EWG drives consumer choice and civic action .

WASHINGTON – Independent laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group found glyphosate, the notorious weedkiller linked to cancer, in more than 80 percent of non-organic hummus and chickpeas samples, and detected at far lower levels in several organic versions.
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world. It was sold for decades by Monsanto, now Bayer AG, under the brand name Roundup. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified glyphosate a probable human carcinogen, and the state of California lists it as chemical known to cause cancer.
One-third of the 27 conventional hummus samples exceeded EWG’s health-based benchmark of 160 parts per billion, or ppb, for daily consumption, based on a 60-gram serving of hummus (about four tablespoons). The Environmental Protection Agency’s woefully inadequate legal limit for glyphosate in chickpeas, known as a tolerance level, is 5,000 ppb, or more than 30 times EWG’s benchmark.
The conventional hummus product with the highest level of glyphosate – more than 2,000 ppb in Whole Foods Market Original Hummus – was nearly 15 times the EWG benchmark. Overall, 10 hummus samples exceeded EWG’s benchmark for glyphosate: three samples of Sabra Classic Hummus; Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus; two sample of Whole Foods Market Original Hummus; Whole Foods Market organic-label Original Hummus; Cava Traditional Hummus; and two samples of Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Traditional Artisan Hummus.
EWG also tested 12 samples of organic hummus and six samples of organic chickpeas. All but two contained detectable concentrations of glyphosate. Although glyphosate levels in organic samples were much lower than those of their conventional counterparts, one dry chickpea sample had the highest glyphosate concentration of all samples tested in the study.
“Beans, peas and lentils are a nutritious, affordable source of protein and an important part of the American diet,” said Olga V. Naidenko, Ph.D., EWG’s vice president for science investigations. “These excellent foods would be much better without glyphosate. Toxic weedkiller should never be allowed to contaminate these products, or any other foods, that millions of American families eat every day.”
The beans and bean-based products such as hummus tested in the study were purchased online or at major food retailers in the Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco metropolitan areas, including Aldi, Costco, Giant, Harris Teeter, Safeway, ShopRite, Target, Trader Joes, Walmart and Whole Foods grocery stores.
Glyphosate was first brought to market in 1974, but its use exploded after 1996, when Monsanto introduced genetically modified “Roundup Ready” crops that were resistant to the herbicide. For consumers, most worrisome is use of the chemical on beans and grains as a drying agent just before harvest. This spraying can lead to high levels of glyphosate in beans, hummus, oat cereals and other foods.
By law, organic farmers are not allowed to spray Roundup or other toxic pesticides to grow and harvest crops. The detections of glyphosate on the organic samples may be due to pesticide drift from conventional crop fields or contamination at processing and packaging facilities.
“Organic foods, including organic hummus and chickpeas, remain a better choice for consumers,” said EWG Toxicologist Alexis M. Temkin, Ph.D. “EWG testing of both conventional and organic bean products for glyphosate helps increase the transparency in the marketplace and protect the integrity of the Department of Agriculture’s organic certification.”
Hummus and chickpeas, as well as other beans, offer multiple nutritional benefits, and are an important part of a healthy diet. EWG’s findings show the need for a ban on pre-harvest uses of glyphosate, a much stricter EPA standard, and increased testing by the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration for this cancer-causing chemical in the American diet.
EWG’s research on beans and hummus builds on EWG’s tests of oats and oat-based products for glyphosate, which found the weedkiller in nearly every sample of cereal and breakfast bars tested.
###
The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.


environmentalworkinggroupewg--2020-07-14--EWG Tests of Hummus Find High Levels of Glyphosate Weedkiller

The health-food staple hummus and the chickpeas it is made from can be contaminated with high levels of glyphosate , a weedkilling chemical linked to cancer , according to independent laboratory tests commissioned by EWG .
The tests also found glyphosate in other kinds of dry and canned beans , dry lentils and garbanzo flour .
Of the 37 conventional , or non-organic , chickpea and chickpea-based samples tested , nearly 90 percent had detectable levels of glyphosate .
One-third of the 27 conventional hummus samples exceeded EWG ’ s health-based benchmark for daily consumption , based on a 60-gram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
One sample of hummus had nearly 15 times as much glyphosate as EWG ’ s benchmark , and one of two tests from a sample of conventional dry chickpeas exceeded even the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s too-permissive legal standard .
EWG also tested 12 samples of organic hummus and six samples of organic chickpeas .
Most contained glyphosate , but at much lower levels than their conventional counterparts : All but two were below our scientists ’ health-based benchmark , although one dry chickpea sample had the highest average level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not permitted on organic crops , so these samples may have been contaminated by the chemical drifting from nearby conventional crop fields , where it was likely sprayed as a pre-harvest drying agent .
Hummus and chickpeas , as well as other beans , offer multiple nutritional benefits , and Americans should not stop eating them .
Our findings show the need not only for a ban on all pre-harvest uses of glyphosate but also for a much stricter EPA standard , and increased testing by the Food and Drug Administration to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Glyphosate is the herbicide sold for decades by Monsanto , now Bayer , under the brand name Roundup .
It is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer , or IARC , as a probable human carcinogen , and by the State of California as a chemical known to cause cancer .
Roundup is the most widely used herbicide in the U.S. , sprayed on different crops and during different parts of the growing season .
For consumers , most worrisome is the spraying of glyphosate , shortly before harvest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a drying agent .
Previous tests by EWG and other public interest groups have found glyphosate in popular breakfast cereals and other foods American adults and children love to eat .
All samples were purchased by EWG researchers online or at major food retailers in the Washington , D.C. , New York City and San Francisco metropolitan areas , including Aldi , Costco , Giant , Harris Teeter , Safeway , ShopRite , Target , Trader Joes , Walmart and Whole Foods grocery stores .
Tests were conducted by Anresco Laboratories of San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State of California .
Glyphosate Found in More Than 80 Percent of Hummus and Chickpea Samples One-third of the conventional hummus samples exceeded EWG ’ s health benchmark for glyphosate in hummus of 160 parts per billion , or ppb .
The hummus product with the highest level of glyphosate – more than 2,000 ppb in Whole Foods Market Original Hummus – was nearly 15 times the EWG benchmark .
Overall , 10 hummus samples exceeded EWG ’ s benchmark for glyphosate : three samples of Sabra Classic Hummus ; Sabra Roasted Pine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foods Market Original Hummus ; Whole Foods Market organic-label Original Hummus ; Cava Traditional Hummus ; and two samples of Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Traditional Artisan Hummus .
EWG also commissioned tests of 12 conventional and three organic samples of canned or dried varieties of lentils and black , navy and Great Northern beans .
We found glyphosate in 60 percent of those samples .
Only one sample of lentils , containing 544 ppb of glyphosate , exceeded the EWG benchmark in a single serving , as listed on the product label @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friends of the Earth detected glyphosate in 100 percent of 27 samples of dried pinto beans , with an average concentration of 509 ppb .
Glyphosate Found in 60 Percent of Beans and Lentils Samples EWG ’ s benchmark for total glyphosate consumption is 10 micrograms per day .
The benchmark was developed based on a cancer risk assessment for glyphosate and includes an additional tenfold children ’ s health safety factor .
EWG ’ s benchmark corresponds to a one-in-one-million cancer risk and is significantly lower than both the EPA 's dietary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , for an adult weighing approximately 150 pounds , and California ’ s No Significant Risk Level of 1,100 micrograms per day .
To translate the total daily amount into the concentration of glyphosate in a ready-to-eat food such as hummus , EWG ’ s maximum daily amount of 10 micrograms is divided by the approximately 60-gram weight of a four-tablespoon serving .
This calculation yields a maximum concentration of approximately 160 ppb , our benchmark .
If someone were to eat eight tablespoons of hummus per day , a glyphosate concentration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s daily limit .
The EPA ’ s legal standard for glyphosate in chickpeas , known as a tolerance level , is 5,000 ppb , or more than 30 times EWG ’ s ’ s benchmark .
One sample of non-organic dry chickpeas contained glyphosate at a concentration close to the EPA ’ s permissive legal standard .
A second sample from the same batch of chickpeas was tested , and the average of the two levels remained very close to the EPA standard.1 Samples of hummus and chickpeas with the highest glyphosate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Whole Foods Market stores .
Among different hummus brands , four of seven conventional Sabra samples tested exceeded EWG ’ s benchmark .
Sabra is the leading U.S. hummus brand , with more than half of the hummus market .
One finding was both surprising and alarming .
A sample of organic dry chickpeas from Harris Teeter was tested twice , with an average concentration of 17,718 ppb of glyphosate detected in two tests .
2 That average concentration is more than three times the EPA tolerance for glyphosate on conventional chickpeas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels for pesticides on organic foods , which are limited to 5 percent of the allowable tolerance for conventional products .
EWG has reported this product to the National Organic Program of the Department of Agriculture for investigation .
Other samples of the Harris Teeter organic dry chickpeas had very low levels of glyphosate , just above the lab ’ s limit of quantification , which was 5 ppb .
In 2016 , tests in Canada commissioned by the nonprofit groups Environmental Defence and Equiterre found levels of glyphosate in hummus and canned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tests .
ln 2018 , the nonprofit Moms Across America tested 10 hummus samples , detecting low levels of glyphosate , with the highest concentration of 30 ppb .
In the U.S. , chickpeas are grown mostly in Idaho , Montana , North Dakota and Washington .
According to EWG analysis of data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service , the number of U.S. acres dedicated to chickpeas more than quadrupled from 2015 to 2018 , growing from 200,000 to more than 800,000 acres .
The increase was fueled by soaring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other chickpea-based foods .
As Consumer Reports wrote in 2018 , hummus sales have grown exponentially , reflecting a trend in “ fresh snacking.
” In 2019 , hummus sales were about $ 780 million , according to information compiled by Statista , a market research company .
In 1997 , the EPA increased the allowable tolerance for glyphosate in chickpeas from 200 ppb to 5,000 ppb .
Although the EPA at first called the increased tolerance an emergency exemption , it was extended in 1998 and has remained in effect .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on toxicity studies in laboratory animals .
It is based on outdated research , does not reflect recent studies , does not consider the carcinogenic activity of glyphosate – despite increased evidence – and does not include an additional tenfold children ’ s health safety factor .
Glyphosate is used on chickpeas , beans , lentils and peas for weed control and as a pre-harvest drying agent , or desiccant , to facilitate harvesting .
Pre-harvest spraying can lead to high levels of glyphosate in the foods sold to consumers .
A recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumed pulses , including lentils and peas , had higher levels of glyphosate in their urine than those who did not eat those foods .
By law , organic farmers are not allowed to apply glyphosate or other pesticides to grow and harvest crops .
A recent study from Montana State University reported that organic chickpea farmers can combat weeds with practices such as shallow tillage and increased seeding rate .
As the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council reported , crops can be dried naturally in the field before harvest .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Autralian study reported that farming can be profitable without glyphosate with the use of non-herbicidal weed management combined with targeted herbicide treatment at the beginning of the growing season .
In 2012 Monsanto asked the European Food Safety Authority , or EFSA , to increase the tolerance for glyphosate on lentils to accommodate the practice of desiccation in the U.S. and Canada .
The EU ’ s current maximum residue level for glyphosate in dry chickpeas is 10,000 ppb , twice the EPA ’ s legal limit .
Despite the conclusion of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the EFSA has yet to classify it as carcinogenic .
In 2016 , a group of 94 international scientists published a study criticizing the EFSA decision and calling on the agency to adapt the IARC cancer classification for glyphosate .
When it comes to testing food for glyphosate , the most commonly used pesticide in the U.S. , the federal government seems to look the other way .
In 2018 , the USDA collected more than 500 chickpea samples for pesticide tests as part of its Pesticide Data Program .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although the FDA has tested some foods for glyphosate , the tests did not include foods known to be sprayed with the chemical .
In 2019 , EWG petitioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to add glyphosate to its national biomonitoring program , a step needed to determine how widespread glyphosate exposure is in Americans .
Like other plant-based sources of protein , hummus and chickpeas , as well as other beans , offer considerable nutritional benefits .
They are an excellent source of dietary fiber , high levels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , folate , magnesium , iron and potassium , as well as aids to weight control and reduced cholesterol .
Beans , peas and legumes are a major source of protein for Hispanic Americans .
Commonly consumed by adults , hummus in snack packs has also become a popular addition to kids ’ lunches .
Chickpeas are also used as ingredients in baby food , both store-bought and homemade .
EWG ’ s research on beans and hummus builds on EWG ’ s tests of oats and oat-based products for glyphosate .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chemical puts parents in the unacceptable position of trying to provide healthy foods for their children while also looking for ways to avoid a probable carcinogen .
Americans should not stop eating hummus and other chickpea products .
Continuing to incorporate protein- and fiber-rich foods into our diet is important .
Despite the presence of glyphosate in some organic products , they remain a better choice for reducing glyphosate exposure from chickpeas and hummus .
In our tests , one in six conventional chickpea products had no detectable levels of glyphosate , showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , harvest and market bean products without a side serving of glyphosate .
EWG calls on food manufacturers and grocery stores to avoid glyphosate in their products by sourcing beans , peas , lentils and grains that are not treated with glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant .
A carcinogenic chemical such as glyphosate does not belong in food – especially nutritious foods that are part of a healthy diet .
In March , the Trump administration announced the EPA will cut back on enforcement of regulations during the coronavirus pandemic .
This raises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a dessicant during this year ’ s harvest season .
EWG will continue to test both conventional and organic beans and bean products for glyphosate , to protect public health and keep up the momentum to phase out glyphosate use as a pre-harvest desiccant .
1 The first test of a sample of Harris Teeter dry chickpeas was 4,423 ppb .
Because that level was so high , a second test was conducted of more chickpeas from the same sample , resulting in a higher level of 5,293 .
The average of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 The first test of a sample of Harris Teeter Organics dry chickpeas was 21,454 ppb .
A second test was conducted of more chickpeas from the same sample , resulting in a level of 13,982 .
The average of the two tests was 17,718 ppb .

The health-food staple hummus and the chickpeas it is made from can be contaminated with high levels of glyphosate, a weedkilling chemical linked to cancer, according to independent laboratory tests commissioned by EWG. The tests also found glyphosate in other kinds of dry and canned beans, dry lentils and garbanzo flour.
Of the 37 conventional, or non-organic, chickpea and chickpea-based samples tested, nearly 90 percent had detectable levels of glyphosate. One-third of the 27 conventional hummus samples exceeded EWG’s health-based benchmark for daily consumption, based on a 60-gram serving of hummus (about four tablespoons). One sample of hummus had nearly 15 times as much glyphosate as EWG’s benchmark, and one of two tests from a sample of conventional dry chickpeas exceeded even the Environmental Protection Agency’s too-permissive legal standard.
EWG also tested 12 samples of organic hummus and six samples of organic chickpeas. Most contained glyphosate, but at much lower levels than their conventional counterparts: All but two were below our scientists’ health-based benchmark, although one dry chickpea sample had the highest average level of all our samples. Glyphosate use is not permitted on organic crops, so these samples may have been contaminated by the chemical drifting from nearby conventional crop fields, where it was likely sprayed as a pre-harvest drying agent.
Get Glyphosate Out of Our Food!
EWG tests have found shockingly high levels of cancer-linked glyphosate in popular PepsiCo products like Quaker Oats and Sabra Hummus.
But PepsiCo continues to allow this dangerous chemical in their food. This is unacceptable. Consumers and parents shouldn't have to worry about cancer-linked pesticides in food.
Hummus and chickpeas, as well as other beans, offer multiple nutritional benefits, and Americans should not stop eating them. Our findings show the need not only for a ban on all pre-harvest uses of glyphosate but also for a much stricter EPA standard, and increased testing by the Food and Drug Administration to determine how widely glyphosate contaminates our food.
Glyphosate is the herbicide sold for decades by Monsanto, now Bayer, under the brand name Roundup. It is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, as a probable human carcinogen, and by the State of California as a chemical known to cause cancer.
Roundup is the most widely used herbicide in the U.S., sprayed on different crops and during different parts of the growing season. For consumers, most worrisome is the spraying of glyphosate, shortly before harvest, on many beans and grains as a drying agent. Previous tests by EWG and other public interest groups have found glyphosate in popular breakfast cereals and other foods American adults and children love to eat.
All samples were purchased by EWG researchers online or at major food retailers in the Washington, D.C., New York City and San Francisco metropolitan areas, including Aldi, Costco, Giant, Harris Teeter, Safeway, ShopRite, Target, Trader Joes, Walmart and Whole Foods grocery stores. Tests were conducted by Anresco Laboratories of San Francisco, which is accredited by the State of California.
Glyphosate Found in More Than 80 Percent of Hummus and Chickpea Samples
Sort by brand
Product Brand Conventional or Organic Glyphosate (ppb) Hummus Original Hummus Whole Foods Market Conventional 2,379 Traditional Artisan Hummus Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Conventional 1,618 Traditional Artisan Hummus Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Conventional 1,290 Classic Hummus Sabra Conventional 743 Classic Hummus Sabra Conventional 476 Original Hummus Whole Foods Market Conventional 442 Original Hummus Whole Foods Market Organic 419 Roasted Pine Nut Hummus Sabra Conventional 349 Classic Hummus Sabra Conventional 285 Traditional Hummus Cava Conventional 224 Craft Hummus Classic Ithaca Conventional 144 Roasted Garlic Hummus Sabra Conventional 130 Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Sabra Conventional 115 Classic Hummus Sabra Conventional 110 Original Hummus Simple Truth Organic Organic 110 Classic Hummus Trader Joe's Conventional 104 Simply Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Sabra Organic 83 Original Hummus Taste of Inspirations (Giant store brand) Conventional 74 Original Hummus Taste of Inspirations (Giant store brand) Conventional 67 Traditional Hummus Boar's Head Conventional 53 Original Hummus Cedar's Organic 44 Garlic Hummus Simply Nature Organic 43 Classic Organic Hummus Hannah Organic 42 Vanilla Bean Hummus Tribe Conventional 40 Original Hummus ShopRite Conventional 19 Original Hummus Nature's Promise Organic 18 Roasted Pine Nut Hummus ShopRite Conventional 15 Classic Hummus Marketside (Walmart brand) Conventional 11 Classic Hummus Tribe Conventional 11 Roasted Garlic Hummus Whole Foods Market Conventional 10 Roasted Garlic Hummus Good & Gather (Target store brand) Conventional 8 Garlic Hummus Simple Truth Organic Organic 8 Hummus Classic Park Street Deli Conventional 7 Original Hummus Cedar's Organic 2* Original Hummus Whole Foods Market Organic 2* Original Hummus Whole Foods Market Organic 2* Hommus Original Asmar’s Conventional ND Traditional Hummus O Organics Organic ND Traditional Hummus The Perfect Pita Conventional ND Chickpeas and other products Dry chickpeas Harris Teeter Organics Organic 21,454
13,982*** Dry chickpeas Harris Teeter Conventional 4,423
5,293** Dry chickpeas Harris Teeter Conventional 3,363 Canned chickpeas Dakota's Pride Conventional 76 Stone Ground Garbanzo Bean Flour Bob's Red Mill Conventional 62 Canned chickpeas Bush's Conventional 51 Dry chickpeas Harris Teeter Organics Organic 18 Dry chickpeas Harris Teeter Organics Organic 13 Canned chickpeas Harris Teeter Organics Organic 9 Dry chickpeas Whole Foods Market Bulk Organic 9 Dry chickpeas Goya Conventional 8 Dry chickpeas Goya Conventional 6 Canned chickpeas Hanover Conventional 2* Canned chickpeas Goya Conventional ND Canned chickpeas Hanover Conventional ND Canned chickpeas Simple Truth Organic Organic ND
Source: EWG, from tests by Anresco Laboratories of products purchased between January and March 2020.
* This sample was below of the limit of quantification of 5ppb.
** This product sample was tested twice. The average of the test results is 4,858 ppb.
*** This product sample was tested twice. The average of the tests results is 17,718 ppb.
ND = None detected; the laboratory limit of detection for glyphosate was 5 ppb.
One-third of the conventional hummus samples exceeded EWG’s health benchmark for glyphosate in hummus of 160 parts per billion, or ppb. The hummus product with the highest level of glyphosate – more than 2,000 ppb in Whole Foods Market Original Hummus – was nearly 15 times the EWG benchmark. Overall, 10 hummus samples exceeded EWG’s benchmark for glyphosate: three samples of Sabra Classic Hummus; Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus; two samples of Whole Foods Market Original Hummus; Whole Foods Market organic-label Original Hummus; Cava Traditional Hummus; and two samples of Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Traditional Artisan Hummus.
EWG also commissioned tests of 12 conventional and three organic samples of canned or dried varieties of lentils and black, navy and Great Northern beans. We found glyphosate in 60 percent of those samples. Only one sample of lentils, containing 544 ppb of glyphosate, exceeded the EWG benchmark in a single serving, as listed on the product label. In 2019, tests commissioned by Friends of the Earth detected glyphosate in 100 percent of 27 samples of dried pinto beans, with an average concentration of 509 ppb.
Glyphosate Found in 60 Percent of Beans and Lentils Samples
Sort by glyphosate amount
Sort by brand
Product Brand Conventional or Organic Glyphosate (ppb) Canned Black beans Hanover Conventional 25 Black beans Bush's Conventional ND Great Northern beans Bush's Conventional ND Black beans Goya Conventional ND Dry Lentils Harris Teeter Conventional 544 Red lentils Bob's Red Mill Conventional 80 Navy beans Signature Select (Safeway store brand) Conventional 80 Great Northern beans Signature Select (Safeway store brand) Conventional 60 Navy beans Harris Teeter Organics Organic 14 French green lentils Harris Teeter Organics Organic 13 Black turtle beans Harris Teeter Conventional 9 Lentils Signature Select (Safeway store brand) Conventional 8 Great Northern beans Goya Conventional ND Black turtle beans Harris Teeter Organics Organic ND Navy beans Harris Teeter Conventional ND
Source: EWG, from tests by Anresco Laboratories of products purchased between January and March 2020.
ND = None detected; the laboratory limit of quantification for glyphosate was 2 ppb.
EWG’s benchmark for total glyphosate consumption is 10 micrograms per day. The benchmark was developed based on a cancer risk assessment for glyphosate and includes an additional tenfold children’s health safety factor. EWG’s benchmark corresponds to a one-in-one-million cancer risk and is significantly lower than both the EPA's dietary adult exposure limit of 70,000 micrograms per day, for an adult weighing approximately 150 pounds, and California’s No Significant Risk Level of 1,100 micrograms per day.
To translate the total daily amount into the concentration of glyphosate in a ready-to-eat food such as hummus, EWG’s maximum daily amount of 10 micrograms is divided by the approximately 60-gram weight of a four-tablespoon serving. This calculation yields a maximum concentration of approximately 160 ppb, our benchmark. If someone were to eat eight tablespoons of hummus per day, a glyphosate concentration of 80 ppb would reach EWG’s daily limit.
The EPA’s legal standard for glyphosate in chickpeas, known as a tolerance level, is 5,000 ppb, or more than 30 times EWG’s’s benchmark. One sample of non-organic dry chickpeas contained glyphosate at a concentration close to the EPA’s permissive legal standard. A second sample from the same batch of chickpeas was tested, and the average of the two levels remained very close to the EPA standard.1
Samples of hummus and chickpeas with the highest glyphosate concentrations were store-brand products from Harris Teeter and Whole Foods Market stores. Among different hummus brands, four of seven conventional Sabra samples tested exceeded EWG’s benchmark. Sabra is the leading U.S. hummus brand, with more than half of the hummus market.
One finding was both surprising and alarming. A sample of organic dry chickpeas from Harris Teeter was tested twice, with an average concentration of 17,718 ppb of glyphosate detected in two tests. 2 That average concentration is more than three times the EPA tolerance for glyphosate on conventional chickpeas, and a violation of legal tolerance levels for pesticides on organic foods, which are limited to 5 percent of the allowable tolerance for conventional products.
EWG has reported this product to the National Organic Program of the Department of Agriculture for investigation. Other samples of the Harris Teeter organic dry chickpeas had very low levels of glyphosate, just above the lab’s limit of quantification, which was 5 ppb.
In 2016, tests in Canada commissioned by the nonprofit groups Environmental Defence and Equiterre found levels of glyphosate in hummus and canned chickpeas similar to those detected in EWG’s tests. ln 2018, the nonprofit Moms Across America tested 10 hummus samples, detecting low levels of glyphosate, with the highest concentration of 30 ppb.
In the U.S., chickpeas are grown mostly in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Washington. According to EWG analysis of data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the number of U.S. acres dedicated to chickpeas more than quadrupled from 2015 to 2018, growing from 200,000 to more than 800,000 acres.
The increase was fueled by soaring consumer demand for hummus, chickpeas and other chickpea-based foods. As Consumer Reports wrote in 2018, hummus sales have grown exponentially, reflecting a trend in “fresh snacking.” In 2019, hummus sales were about $780 million, according to information compiled by Statista, a market research company.
In 1997, the EPA increased the allowable tolerance for glyphosate in chickpeas from 200 ppb to 5,000 ppb. Although the EPA at first called the increased tolerance an emergency exemption, it was extended in 1998 and has remained in effect. The EPA’s glyphosate tolerance is based on toxicity studies in laboratory animals. It is based on outdated research, does not reflect recent studies, does not consider the carcinogenic activity of glyphosate – despite increased evidence – and does not include an additional tenfold children’s health safety factor.
Glyphosate is used on chickpeas, beans, lentils and peas for weed control and as a pre-harvest drying agent, or desiccant, to facilitate harvesting. Pre-harvest spraying can lead to high levels of glyphosate in the foods sold to consumers. A recent study in Germany found that individuals who consumed pulses, including lentils and peas, had higher levels of glyphosate in their urine than those who did not eat those foods.
By law, organic farmers are not allowed to apply glyphosate or other pesticides to grow and harvest crops. A recent study from Montana State University reported that organic chickpea farmers can combat weeds with practices such as shallow tillage and increased seeding rate.
As the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council reported, crops can be dried naturally in the field before harvest. Although more research is needed, a recent Autralian study reported that farming can be profitable without glyphosate with the use of non-herbicidal weed management combined with targeted herbicide treatment at the beginning of the growing season.
In 2012 Monsanto asked the European Food Safety Authority, or EFSA, to increase the tolerance for glyphosate on lentils to accommodate the practice of desiccation in the U.S. and Canada. The EU’s current maximum residue level for glyphosate in dry chickpeas is 10,000 ppb, twice the EPA’s legal limit.
Despite the conclusion of the IARC that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen, the EFSA has yet to classify it as carcinogenic. In 2016, a group of 94 international scientists published a study criticizing the EFSA decision and calling on the agency to adapt the IARC cancer classification for glyphosate.
When it comes to testing food for glyphosate, the most commonly used pesticide in the U.S., the federal government seems to look the other way.
In 2018, the USDA collected more than 500 chickpea samples for pesticide tests as part of its Pesticide Data Program. However, the program does not include glyphosate testing. Although the FDA has tested some foods for glyphosate, the tests did not include foods known to be sprayed with the chemical. In 2019, EWG petitioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to add glyphosate to its national biomonitoring program, a step needed to determine how widespread glyphosate exposure is in Americans.
Like other plant-based sources of protein, hummus and chickpeas, as well as other beans, offer considerable nutritional benefits. They are an excellent source of dietary fiber, high levels of vitamins A, E, and C, folate, magnesium, iron and potassium, as well as aids to weight control and reduced cholesterol. Beans, peas and legumes are a major source of protein for Hispanic Americans.
Commonly consumed by adults, hummus in snack packs has also become a popular addition to kids’ lunches. Chickpeas are also used as ingredients in baby food, both store-bought and homemade.
EWG’s research on beans and hummus builds on EWG’s tests of oats and oat-based products for glyphosate. Yet again, the unnecessary use of this chemical puts parents in the unacceptable position of trying to provide healthy foods for their children while also looking for ways to avoid a probable carcinogen.
Americans should not stop eating hummus and other chickpea products. Continuing to incorporate protein- and fiber-rich foods into our diet is important. Despite the presence of glyphosate in some organic products, they remain a better choice for reducing glyphosate exposure from chickpeas and hummus. In our tests, one in six conventional chickpea products had no detectable levels of glyphosate, showing that it’s possible to grow, harvest and market bean products without a side serving of glyphosate.
EWG calls on food manufacturers and grocery stores to avoid glyphosate in their products by sourcing beans, peas, lentils and grains that are not treated with glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant. A carcinogenic chemical such as glyphosate does not belong in food – especially nutritious foods that are part of a healthy diet.
In March, the Trump administration announced the EPA will cut back on enforcement of regulations during the coronavirus pandemic. This raises our concern about potential overuse of glyphosate as a dessicant during this year’s harvest season.
EWG will continue to test both conventional and organic beans and bean products for glyphosate, to protect public health and keep up the momentum to phase out glyphosate use as a pre-harvest desiccant.
Stay informed by signing up to receive email tips, action alerts, promotions to support our work and more from EWG. You can opt-out at any time.
Notes
1 The first test of a sample of Harris Teeter dry chickpeas was 4,423 ppb. Because that level was so high, a second test was conducted of more chickpeas from the same sample, resulting in a higher level of 5,293. The average of the two tests was 4,858 ppb.
2 The first test of a sample of Harris Teeter Organics dry chickpeas was 21,454 ppb. A second test was conducted of more chickpeas from the same sample, resulting in a level of 13,982. The average of the two tests was 17,718 ppb.


environmentalworkinggroupewg--2020-07-14--EWG Analysis: Few States Have Job Safety Rules To Protect Farmworkers From COVID-19

Only eight states have wide-ranging mandatory protections for farmworkers from the coronavirus , an Environmental Working Group analysis of state regulations reveals .
Some states have issued recommendations for farmworker protections , but most states have issued no guidance at all .
Colorado , Michigan , New Mexico , New York , Oregon , Pennsylvania , Washington and Wisconsin are the only states to require produce growers and other farm operations to provide personal protective equipment , or PPE , to farmworkers , and to require physical distancing , workplace disinfection and worker testing .
Other mandatory protections in those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus .
Of the workplace protections mandated by other states , California , the nation ’ s leading farm state , only requires growers to provide PPE to farmworkers , but the state legislature is considering other protections .
However , according to Farmworker Justice , the state has revised and funded several previously existing programs to help farmworker families , often regardless of immigration status .
The programs include disaster assistance , unemployment benefits , paid sick and family leave , workers ’ compensation access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and treatment .
Sixteen states have issued non-binding guidance for growers .
Several large farm states , including Florida and Texas , have failed even to issue recommendations .
Overall , 26 states have failed to take any action to protect farmworkers .
This chart details the coronavirus protections in the states estimated to have the most farmworkers .
The state ranking is based on farm labor spending reported in the U.S. Department of Agriculture ’ s 2017 Census of Agriculture .
To see the complete list of states , click here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control and Prevention , As of July 7 , nearly 4,000 farmworkers nationwide have tested positive for the virus , and at least two have died , according to reporting by the Food and Environmental Reporting Network .
Studies show that working and living conditions make farmworkers more vulnerable to the virus .
One of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus among farmworkers was reported earlier this month in Ventura County , Calif. Of 216 farmworkers tested , 188 had the virus .
The workers were living in dormitory-style housing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked for three different labor contractors and traveled to an undisclosed number of locations throughout the county .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an interim guidance it calls “ a template of action ” to protect farmworkers from the virus .
But following the guidance is not mandatory .
The CDC says the recommendations can be adapted by agricultural employers and state and local health departments , and that work sites should follow them only “ as feasible.
” Officials at the USDA and the Occupational Safety and Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency worker safety standards for farmworkers .
Legislation passed in May by the House of Representatives would require protections , but the Senate has so far failed to act .
Congress may pass a fourth COVID-19 relief bill this month .

Only eight states have wide-ranging mandatory protections for farmworkers from the coronavirus, an Environmental Working Group analysis of state regulations reveals. Some states have issued recommendations for farmworker protections, but most states have issued no guidance at all.
Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin are the only states to require produce growers and other farm operations to provide personal protective equipment, or PPE, to farmworkers, and to require physical distancing, workplace disinfection and worker testing. Other mandatory protections in those states include changes to housing and transportation designed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Of the workplace protections mandated by other states, California, the nation’s leading farm state, only requires growers to provide PPE to farmworkers, but the state legislature is considering other protections. However, according to Farmworker Justice, the state has revised and funded several previously existing programs to help farmworker families, often regardless of immigration status. The programs include disaster assistance, unemployment benefits, paid sick and family leave, workers’ compensation access and state Medicaid coverage for COVID-19 testing and treatment.
Sixteen states have issued non-binding guidance for growers. Several large farm states, including Florida and Texas, have failed even to issue recommendations. Overall, 26 states have failed to take any action to protect farmworkers.
This chart details the coronavirus protections in the states estimated to have the most farmworkers. The state ranking is based on farm labor spending reported in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2017 Census of Agriculture. To see the complete list of states, click here.
State COVID-19 Protections for Farmworkers
Source: EWG, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
USDA’s 2017 Census of Agriculture and state government websites
As of July 7, nearly 4,000 farmworkers nationwide have tested positive for the virus, and at least two have died, according to reporting by the Food and Environmental Reporting Network. Studies show that working and living conditions make farmworkers more vulnerable to the virus.
One of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus among farmworkers was reported earlier this month in Ventura County, Calif. Of 216 farmworkers tested, 188 had the virus. The workers were living in dormitory-style housing, with five people per room. They worked for three different labor contractors and traveled to an undisclosed number of locations throughout the county.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an interim guidance it calls “a template of action” to protect farmworkers from the virus. But following the guidance is not mandatory. The CDC says the recommendations can be adapted by agricultural employers and state and local health departments, and that work sites should follow them only “as feasible.”
Officials at the USDA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have rejected calls to adopt mandatory emergency worker safety standards for farmworkers. Legislation passed in May by the House of Representatives would require protections, but the Senate has so far failed to act. Congress may pass a fourth COVID-19 relief bill this month.


environmentalworkinggroupewg--2020-07-16--EWG News Roundup (7/16): Glyphosate in Hummus, States Failing Farmworkers During COVID-19 Pandemic a

EWG News Roundup (7/16): Glyphosate in Hummus, States Failing Farmworkers During COVID-19 Pandemic and More

On Tuesday , EWG released an analysis of laboratory testing that shows glyphosate , the notorious weedkiller linked to cancer , in more than 80 percent of non-organic hummus and chickpea samples .
Glyphosate was detected at far lower levels in organic samples than in their conventional counterparts .
“ Beans , peas and lentils are a nutritious , affordable source of protein and an important part of the American diet , ” said Olga V. Naidenko , Ph.D. , EWG ’ s vice president for science investigations .
“ These excellent foods would be much better without glyphosate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ contaminate these products , or any other foods , that millions of American families eat every day.
” As the coronavirus pandemic rages on , EWG took a look at farmworker protections that were being put in place across the nation .
We found that only eight states have wide-ranging mandatory protections for farmworkers , and 26 have failed to take any action .
This week , the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere published a study by EWG scientists that concludes that burning , discarding and flushing waste containing the toxic fluorinated chemicals known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The three common ‘ disposal ’ options for getting rid of PFAS do not eliminate these contaminants but rather end up just returning either the same chemicals or their byproducts back into the environment , ” says Tasha Stoiber , Ph.D. , EWG senior scientist and primary author of the study .
“ PFAS disposal is really just another step in the contamination cycle.
” Here ’ s some news you can use going into the weekend .
Chemical Watch : US EWG alerts to possible presence of PFAS in air from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Working Group ( EWG ) , has called for urgent research into the potential presence of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances ( PFASs ) in air emissions from waste incinerators .
According to a study published in Chemosphere , scientists at the Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) , Washington , D.C. , have concluded that burning , discarding and flushing waste containing the toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS all contribute to environmental contamination .
This is a true all-purpose , every-surface cleaner , and with the grade of A on the EWG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe to use around my family .
One of their most popular options is their plant-based wet wipes , which are ultra-soft , biodegradable , hypoallergenic , EWG Verified , MADE SAFE® certified and made with only water and plant-based ingredients .
Moms.com : Is Fabric Softener Really Necessary ?
According to the Environmental Working Group 's article Skip The Fabric Softeners , most fabric softeners contain preservatives such as methylisothiazolinone , which is a potent skin allergen .
Business Insider : A weed killer that 's been linked to cancer was found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's what you need to know .
Traces of glyphosate , a weed-killing chemical , has been found in various samples of hummus and chickpeas , according to a new report out today from the Environmental Working Group .
Delish : Many Hummus And Chickpea Brands Were Found To Contain A Chemical Used In Weed Killer More than 80 percent of non-organic hummus and chickpea products in independent laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group contained detectable levels of glyphosate , a chemical used in weed killer , according to the group .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herbicide Glyphosate in Some Hummus & Chickpeas—Here 's What You Need to Know The Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) recently conducted a study that found several chickpea products contain more of the herbicide glyphosate than the benchmark for recommended daily consumption .
Good Housekeeping : Hummus from Whole Foods , Sabra , and Other Brands May Contain Herbicide , According to New Report The Environmental Working Group , the same organization responsible for the annual Dirty Dozen produce list , says its new findings suggest popular store-bought hummus products as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain various amounts of glyphosate .
The Hill : Weedkiller chemical found in popular brands of hummus The study , from the Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) , found the chemical glyphosate in more than 80 percent of the non-organic hummus and chickpeas samples it studied .
Eat This , Not That : These Hummus Brands Could Be Making You Seriously Ill , According to Science Today , the Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) released a new report that tested samples of popular hummus brands for glyphosate , an herbicide that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results are not what we expected .
The Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) commissioned laboratory tests on hummus and chickpeas samples , and found glyphosate in more than 80 % of non-organic samples .
Fox Business : Whole Foods , Sabra hummus could contain cancer-linked weedkiller found in Roundup Glyphosate , one of the most widely used herbicides , was found in more than 80 percent of non-organic hummus brands and several organic versions including the popular brand Sabra , according to a report from the Environmental Working Group , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Star 102 ( Cleveland ) : Whole Foods , Sabra Hummus and More Tested Positive for Weedkiller Chemical Well EWG Toxicologist Alexis Temkin says that you might just have to buy organic hummus and chickpeas to make sure you 're not coming in contact with glyphosate .
Harper ’ s Bazaar : CBD Skincare Has a Clean Beauty Problem , but Prima Is Changing That As the first CBD brand to be EWG Verified , Prima seeks to clear up the confusion .
Prima , which became a certified B Corporation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hemp CBD brand with Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) Verified products .
Bloomberg : Only Eight U.S. States Have Virus Rules for Farms as Cases Rise A little more than a dozen states have safety recommendations , but they aren ’ t enforceable , while the rest of the country hasn ’ t issued any protocols , according to the Environmental Working Group , which released its findings on Tuesday .
Most states have not issued any guidance for how to protect farmworkers from the coronavirus , according to a new analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handful of states have put mandatory COVID-19 protections in place specifically for farmworkers , according to an analysis from the Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) .
Politico : ‘ Here ’ s your check ’ : Trump ’ s massive payouts to farmers will be hard to pull back “ There ’ s definitely a connection between his supporters and the people who are getting the money from these huge payments , ” said Schechinger of the Environmental Working Group .
“ It ’ s a giant downside for agriculture as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustainable , ” mentioned Anne Schechinger , senior economics analyst on the Environmental Working Group , a non-profit watchdog organisation .
Green Prophet : Bayer-Monsanto Agrees to $ 10B Settlement With Victims Poisoned by Roundup Weedkiller Three separate rounds of laboratory tests commissioned by EWG in 2018 and 2019 found glyphosate in nearly every sample of popular oat-based cereals and other foods marketed to children .
The Environmental Working Group recommends these less-toxic virus-killing ingredients , which you can find when you search the EPA ’ s list of cleaners .
Eucalyptus oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products approved by the Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) , a non-profit research association .
Taste for Life : Environmentally Friendly Cleaning 6 Ingredients to Embrace ( and 5 to Avoid ) Source : “ What are parabens , and why they don ’ t belong in cosmetics products ?
” by Tasha Stoiber , EWG.org Treehugger : What Is Castile Soap ?
Uses and Benefits Castile soap is great at cutting through greasy dishes , and it gets an A from the Environmental Working Group for being a 'product of low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t Hurt !
Sustain Your Skin ’ s Recovery Phase During Covid19 With Clean Cosmetics From Liht Organics Pre-crisis , women in the US apply an average of 168 chemicals , including endocrine disruptors , carcinogens and neurotoxins , to our faces and bodies every day , according to non-profit Environmental Working Group .
Artvoice : Skin Whitening Is Dangerous , Aggressively Marketed , Despite Companies Changing Marketing to Avoid Appearance of Racism Environmental Working Group reports the active ingredient Octinoxate has startling possible side effects including : biochemical or cellular level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , allergies/immunotoxicity , and organ system toxicity .
Cheat Sheet : Is Kourtney Kardashian Trying to Subtly Influence Her Sisters ’ Businesses ?
In 2018 , Kourtney worked with the Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) to lobby Congress for reforms to cosmetic regulations .
She even went to Washington D.C. to support the Personal Care Products Safety Act , which was a bill introduced in 2015 to put forth new health and safety standards for cosmetic products .
Like ingredient research platforms such as mobile app Think Dirty and the Environmental Working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Good Face Project launched its app for iOS today to help clean beauty consumers do ingredient research .
Allure : The Best Beauty Products You Can Buy on Amazon Not only is Herbal Essences ' Honey & Vitamin B Sulfate-Free Shampoo EWG Verified — which means its ingredients meet rigorous standards — it 's color-safe , pH-balanced , and formulated to moisturize and soften hair .
Henry Rose , a line of genderless fine fragrances founded by actress Michelle Pfeiffer and created to meet environmental standards from the Environmental Working Group and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has expanded its collection with Smyth , a fruity fragrance .
The Manual : The Best Men ’ s Colognes for Summer Henry Rose , founded by Michelle Pfeiffer , conceives of all of its fragrances as genderless .
This latest offering , Queens & Monsters , is also Environmental Working Group and Cradle to Cradle certified for sustainability efforts .
Who What Wear : I Wore a Different Perfume Every Day for a Month—These 10 Earned Me Compliments It 's gorgeous , and like all of Henry Rose 's fragrances , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group and certified by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute .
The Zoe Report : Henry Rose ’ s New Smyth Fragrance Is The Late-Summer Scent You ’ ve Been Searching For You wo n't find endocrine disruptors , parabens , phthalates , and carcinogens in any of the brand 's products and each scent has to pass strict guidelines that are put out by the Environmental Working Group and Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute .
In the U.S. , 50 % of lamb is imported , according to EWG and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes its transportation cost .
MinnPost : Water wars : Can a Sebeka farmer grow potatoes in the sandy soils of central Minnesota ?
A few days later , however , the Environmental Working Group , a national organization that has led the opposition to the Nolte project , said it will ask the Minnesota Court of Appeals to order the environmental review .
106 military sites were identified by the Environmental Working Group “ where the drinking water or groundwater is contaminated with PFAS ” at unhealthy levels .
NM Political Report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firefighting foam manufacturers for PFAS contamination “ Part of the reason we know so much about the toxicity of these compounds in general , and in particular about PFOA , is because of the contamination of over 70,000 people in Parkersburg , West Virginia and the surrounding communities in the Ohio River Valley , ” David Andrews , senior scientist at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group , told NM Political Report .
Scott Faber , senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group , said prospects for strong PFAS language @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year .
Stars and Stripes : House rolls out sweeping bipartisan NDAA amendment targeting toxic chemicals on bases The foam has been found to contaminate groundwater and well water around bases .
Recent data from the EWG found 28 bases with PFAS levels in drinking water at levels above state standards .
These sites were identified by the Environmental Working Group led by Scott Faber .
New Hampshire Public Radio : Kuster Backs New Effort To Add PFAS Package To Defense Spending Bill The Environmental Working group says that list includes more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Engineering News : Why limiting PFAS in drinking water is a challenge in the US “ This is a multi-administration failure to take action on PFOA and PFOS and on the broader class of PFAS chemicals that may pose health effects , ” says Melanie Benesh , legislative attorney for the Environmental Working Group , which has called for limiting the two chemicals in drinking water since the early 2000s .
Colorado Times Recorder : Perlmutter Introduces Bill to Study Impact of Toxic Chemicals on Firefighters ’ Health Another study commissioned by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the drinking water of dozens of cities across the United States — including El Paso County .
Good Housekeeping : What Are the Dirty Dozen Foods ?
Take a Look at the Full 2020 List The Environmental Working Group has released the 2020 version of its annual Dirty Dozen list .
Recently we ’ ve discovered , with the help of the Environmental Working Group , that kale is also one of the most pesticide-ridden vegetables out there .
Easy Health Options : Pump up your pear intake for better blood pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eating the skin , buying organic pears will be extra important so you can keep your pesticide intake down… especially , since pears consistently land on the Environmental Working Group ’ s Dirty Dozen .
MindBodyGreen : 5 Effective Ways To Support Your Gut This Summer & Always If you 're on a budget , Bush recommends letting the EWG 's Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists help you prioritize what fruits and veggies to buy organic and what 's the safest ( in terms of pesticide residue ) to buy conventional .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fruits and Veggies With the Most/Least Pesticides Every year the Environmental Working Group releases a list of fruits and vegetables that contain the highest amount of pesticides .
In general , mineral sunscreens tend to rate better than chemical sunscreens in the Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) sunscreen database .
Ask Men Australia : Best Sunscreens for Men The oil-free formula has an EWG rating of one and applies smoothly and disappears like you ’ re not even wearing layers of SPF 30 .
Best Products : We Tested These Sunscreens for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Skin to Find Out Which Ones Actually Worked Over the years , sunscreen shopping has been demystified thanks to the Skin Cancer Foundation and the nonprofit Environmental Working Group .
Buzzfeed : 15 Sunscreens Reviewers Say Are Actually Non-Greasy And Do n't Leave Any Residue I found this gem on the Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) website .
All of the above points mean nothing if your SPF is lacking in the PF department ( that ’ s Protection Factor , of course ) , and a 2019 study from the Environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of sunscreens tested did not offer the advertised sun protection .
The Eagle : The ( Com ) Post : Sustainable BIPOC-owned businesses for everyday purchases As a result , every item sold is sustainably made , plant-based , cruelty free and adheres to its policy avoiding ingredients on the Environmental Working Group ’ s “ Toxic Twenty List.
” The nonprofit Environmental Working Group reported in March that nitrate levels in rural Minnesota oublic water systems have risen since the mid-1900s , likely because of agricultural runoff , and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which often draw from the same sources of water .
A quick glance of the Environmental Working Group ’ s ( EWG ) data collected from public drinking water suppliers along the Ohio River reveals that all public drinking water sources along the river have pollutants that in many cases exceed the EWG health standards and in some cases exceed federal standards .
Check with EWG ’ s handy-dandy tap water database which can tell you what ’ s in your area by providing your zip code .
Indiana Public Media : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Here 's How To Find Out This is likely why the Environmental Working Group has their own water quality database — which may give a better idea about how your water measures up .

On Tuesday, EWG released an analysis of laboratory testing that shows glyphosate, the notorious weedkiller linked to cancer, in more than 80 percent of non-organic hummus and chickpea samples. Glyphosate was detected at far lower levels in organic samples than in their conventional counterparts.
“Beans, peas and lentils are a nutritious, affordable source of protein and an important part of the American diet,” said Olga V. Naidenko, Ph.D., EWG’s vice president for science investigations. “These excellent foods would be much better without glyphosate. Toxic weedkiller should never be allowed to contaminate these products, or any other foods, that millions of American families eat every day.”
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, EWG took a look at farmworker protections that were being put in place across the nation. We found that only eight states have wide-ranging mandatory protections for farmworkers, and 26 have failed to take any action.
This week, the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere published a study by EWG scientists that concludes that burning, discarding and flushing waste containing the toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS all contribute to environmental contamination.
“The three common ‘disposal’ options for getting rid of PFAS do not eliminate these contaminants but rather end up just returning either the same chemicals or their byproducts back into the environment,” says Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D., EWG senior scientist and primary author of the study. “PFAS disposal is really just another step in the contamination cycle.”
Here’s some news you can use going into the weekend.
Study for Disposal of PFAS Waste
Chemical Watch: US EWG alerts to possible presence of PFAS in air from waste incinerators
US NGO, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), has called for urgent research into the potential presence of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in air emissions from waste incinerators.
Waste Today Magazine: Study concludes that PFAS disposal increases contamination
According to a study published in Chemosphere, scientists at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), Washington, D.C., have concluded that burning, discarding and flushing waste containing the toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS all contribute to environmental contamination.
Children’s Health
Baby Chick: Puracy: Natural & Safe Household Products That Actually Work
This is a true all-purpose, every-surface cleaner, and with the grade of A on the EWG site, I appreciate that it is safe to use around my family.
Eco18: Eco-Products for Moms-to-Be
One of their most popular options is their plant-based wet wipes, which are ultra-soft, biodegradable, hypoallergenic, EWG Verified, MADE SAFE® certified and made with only water and plant-based ingredients.
Moms.com: Is Fabric Softener Really Necessary?
According to the Environmental Working Group's article Skip The Fabric Softeners, most fabric softeners contain preservatives such as methylisothiazolinone, which is a potent skin allergen.
Glyphosate in Hummus Report
USA Today: New study finds weed killer in popular hummus brands – here's what you need to know
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental organization that receives funding from organic food companies like Stonyfield Farm and Organic Valley, conducted the study and found glyphosate (which is used in herbicides like Roundup) in many non-organic products it tested.
Business Insider: A weed killer that's been linked to cancer was found in six types of hummus. Here's what you need to know.
Traces of glyphosate, a weed-killing chemical, has been found in various samples of hummus and chickpeas, according to a new report out today from the Environmental Working Group.
Delish: Many Hummus And Chickpea Brands Were Found To Contain A Chemical Used In Weed Killer
More than 80 percent of non-organic hummus and chickpea products in independent laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group contained detectable levels of glyphosate, a chemical used in weed killer, according to the group.
Eating Well: New Study Finds the Herbicide Glyphosate in Some Hummus & Chickpeas—Here's What You Need to Know
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently conducted a study that found several chickpea products contain more of the herbicide glyphosate than the benchmark for recommended daily consumption.
Good Housekeeping: Hummus from Whole Foods, Sabra, and Other Brands May Contain Herbicide, According to New Report
The Environmental Working Group, the same organization responsible for the annual Dirty Dozen produce list, says its new findings suggest popular store-bought hummus products as well as raw, canned, or boxed chickpeas contain various amounts of glyphosate.
The Hill: Weedkiller chemical found in popular brands of hummus
The study, from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), found the chemical glyphosate in more than 80 percent of the non-organic hummus and chickpeas samples it studied.
Eat This, Not That: These Hummus Brands Could Be Making You Seriously Ill, According to Science
Today, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a new report that tested samples of popular hummus brands for glyphosate, an herbicide that has been linked to cancer, and the results are not what we expected.
Whole Foods Magazine: EWG Finds High Glyphosate Levels in Hummus
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) commissioned laboratory tests on hummus and chickpeas samples, and found glyphosate in more than 80% of non-organic samples.
Fox Business: Whole Foods, Sabra hummus could contain cancer-linked weedkiller found in Roundup
Glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides, was found in more than 80 percent of non-organic hummus brands and several organic versions including the popular brand Sabra, according to a report from the Environmental Working Group, an environmental health nonprofit organization, released Tuesday.
Star 102 (Cleveland): Whole Foods, Sabra Hummus and More Tested Positive for Weedkiller Chemical
Well EWG Toxicologist Alexis Temkin says that you might just have to buy organic hummus and chickpeas to make sure you're not coming in contact with glyphosate.
Launch of EWG VERIFIED® Prima Products
Harper’s Bazaar: CBD Skincare Has a Clean Beauty Problem, but Prima Is Changing That
As the first CBD brand to be EWG Verified, Prima seeks to clear up the confusion.
Global Cosmetic Industry: Prima First to Offer EWG Verified CBD Products
Prima, which became a certified B Corporation in June 2020, is reportedly the first hemp CBD brand with Environmental Working Group (EWG) Verified products.
COVID-19 and Farmworkers
Bloomberg: Only Eight U.S. States Have Virus Rules for Farms as Cases Rise
A little more than a dozen states have safety recommendations, but they aren’t enforceable, while the rest of the country hasn’t issued any protocols, according to the Environmental Working Group, which released its findings on Tuesday.
Reprinted by Yahoo! Finance
Agri-Pulse: Daybreak July 15—Report: Few states have COVID-19 farmworker protections
Most states have not issued any guidance for how to protect farmworkers from the coronavirus, according to a new analysis from the Environmental Working Group.
Progressive Farmer: Washington Insider—Thursday 7/16
Only a handful of states have put mandatory COVID-19 protections in place specifically for farmworkers, according to an analysis from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
COVID-19 and Farm Bailouts
Politico: ‘Here’s your check’: Trump’s massive payouts to farmers will be hard to pull back
“There’s definitely a connection between his supporters and the people who are getting the money from these huge payments,” said Schechinger of the Environmental Working Group.
Automobil News: ‘Right Here’s Your Cheque’: Donald Trump’s Farm Bailouts Might Depart a Depraved Hangover
“It’s a giant downside for agriculture as a result of it’s not sustainable,” mentioned Anne Schechinger, senior economics analyst on the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit watchdog organisation.
Bayer-Monsanto Settlement
Green Prophet: Bayer-Monsanto Agrees to $10B Settlement With Victims Poisoned by Roundup Weedkiller
Three separate rounds of laboratory tests commissioned by EWG in 2018 and 2019 found glyphosate in nearly every sample of popular oat-based cereals and other foods marketed to children.
Cleaning Products
Berkeley Wellness: Do Eco-Friendly Cleaners Destroy the Coronavirus?
The Environmental Working Group recommends these less-toxic virus-killing ingredients, which you can find when you search the EPA’s list of cleaners.
Natural Health 365: The 6 best antiviral essential oils
Eucalyptus oil is found in 30 different natural cleaning products approved by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit research association.
Taste for Life: Environmentally Friendly Cleaning 6 Ingredients to Embrace (and 5 to Avoid)
Source: “What are parabens, and why they don’t belong in cosmetics products?” by Tasha Stoiber, EWG.org
Treehugger: What Is Castile Soap? Uses and Benefits
Castile soap is great at cutting through greasy dishes, and it gets an A from the Environmental Working Group for being a 'product of low concern'.
Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database
Alvinology: Pretty Shouldn’t Hurt! Sustain Your Skin’s Recovery Phase During Covid19 With Clean Cosmetics From Liht Organics
Pre-crisis, women in the US apply an average of 168 chemicals, including endocrine disruptors, carcinogens and neurotoxins, to our faces and bodies every day, according to non-profit Environmental Working Group.
Artvoice: Skin Whitening Is Dangerous, Aggressively Marketed, Despite Companies Changing Marketing to Avoid Appearance of Racism
Environmental Working Group reports the active ingredient Octinoxate has startling possible side effects including: biochemical or cellular level changes, developmental/reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, allergies/immunotoxicity, and organ system toxicity.
Cheat Sheet: Is Kourtney Kardashian Trying to Subtly Influence Her Sisters’ Businesses?
In 2018, Kourtney worked with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to lobby Congress for reforms to cosmetic regulations. She even went to Washington D.C. to support the Personal Care Products Safety Act, which was a bill introduced in 2015 to put forth new health and safety standards for cosmetic products.
Glossy: AI clean beauty startup Good Face Project is the latest ingredient research app
Like ingredient research platforms such as mobile app Think Dirty and the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep app, The Good Face Project launched its app for iOS today to help clean beauty consumers do ingredient research.
EWG VERIFIED®
Allure: The Best Beauty Products You Can Buy on Amazon
Not only is Herbal Essences' Honey & Vitamin B Sulfate-Free Shampoo EWG Verified — which means its ingredients meet rigorous standards — it's color-safe, pH-balanced, and formulated to moisturize and soften hair.
Happi: Henry Rose Expands Scent Collection
Henry Rose, a line of genderless fine fragrances founded by actress Michelle Pfeiffer and created to meet environmental standards from the Environmental Working Group and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, has expanded its collection with Smyth, a fruity fragrance.
The Manual: The Best Men’s Colognes for Summer
Henry Rose, founded by Michelle Pfeiffer, conceives of all of its fragrances as genderless. This latest offering, Queens & Monsters, is also Environmental Working Group and Cradle to Cradle certified for sustainability efforts.
Who What Wear: I Wore a Different Perfume Every Day for a Month—These 10 Earned Me Compliments
It's gorgeous, and like all of Henry Rose's fragrances, it's verified by the Environmental Working Group and certified by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
The Zoe Report: Henry Rose’s New Smyth Fragrance Is The Late-Summer Scent You’ve Been Searching For
You won't find endocrine disruptors, parabens, phthalates, and carcinogens in any of the brand's products and each scent has to pass strict guidelines that are put out by the Environmental Working Group and Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change + Health
Thrive Global: Climate Change: What’s Really Happening?
In the U.S., 50% of lamb is imported, according to EWG and CleanMetrics Report, its carbon footprint thus includes its transportation cost.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Nolte Family Irrigation Project
MinnPost: Water wars: Can a Sebeka farmer grow potatoes in the sandy soils of central Minnesota?
A few days later, however, the Environmental Working Group, a national organization that has led the opposition to the Nolte project, said it will ask the Minnesota Court of Appeals to order the environmental review.
PFAS Military Map
EHS Daily Advisor: EPA Issues Rule Moving Forward with PFAS Protections
106 military sites were identified by the Environmental Working Group “where the drinking water or groundwater is contaminated with PFAS” at unhealthy levels.
NM Political Report: New Mexico joins multidistrict litigation against firefighting foam manufacturers for PFAS contamination
“Part of the reason we know so much about the toxicity of these compounds in general, and in particular about PFOA, is because of the contamination of over 70,000 people in Parkersburg, West Virginia and the surrounding communities in the Ohio River Valley,” David Andrews, senior scientist at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, told NM Political Report.
NC Policy Watch: Tillis votes down amendment targeting toxic PFAS chemicals; cites “jurisdictional” issues
Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, said prospects for strong PFAS language is better this year than it was last year.
Stars and Stripes: House rolls out sweeping bipartisan NDAA amendment targeting toxic chemicals on bases
The foam has been found to contaminate groundwater and well water around bases. Recent data from the EWG found 28 bases with PFAS levels in drinking water at levels above state standards.
Top Class Actions: PFAS Chemicals Protections Proposed for Service Members
These sites were identified by the Environmental Working Group led by Scott Faber.
New Hampshire Public Radio: Kuster Backs New Effort To Add PFAS Package To Defense Spending Bill
The Environmental Working group says that list includes more than 600 military sites.
PFAS Tap Water Contamination
Chemical & Engineering News: Why limiting PFAS in drinking water is a challenge in the US
“This is a multi-administration failure to take action on PFOA and PFOS and on the broader class of PFAS chemicals that may pose health effects,” says Melanie Benesh, legislative attorney for the Environmental Working Group, which has called for limiting the two chemicals in drinking water since the early 2000s.
Colorado Times Recorder: Perlmutter Introduces Bill to Study Impact of Toxic Chemicals on Firefighters’ Health
Another study commissioned by the Environmental Working Group in January discovered PFAS in the drinking water of dozens of cities across the United States — including El Paso County.
Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™
Good Housekeeping: What Are the Dirty Dozen Foods? Take a Look at the Full 2020 List
The Environmental Working Group has released the 2020 version of its annual Dirty Dozen list.
Easy Health Options: 5 health-changing reasons to eat arugula
Recently we’ve discovered, with the help of the Environmental Working Group, that kale is also one of the most pesticide-ridden vegetables out there.
Easy Health Options: Pump up your pear intake for better blood pressure and blood sugar
Since you’re eating the skin, buying organic pears will be extra important so you can keep your pesticide intake down… especially, since pears consistently land on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen.
MindBodyGreen: 5 Effective Ways To Support Your Gut This Summer & Always
If you're on a budget, Bush recommends letting the EWG's Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists help you prioritize what fruits and veggies to buy organic and what's the safest (in terms of pesticide residue) to buy conventional.
973 The Dawg: Annual List of Fruits and Veggies With the Most/Least Pesticides
Every year the Environmental Working Group releases a list of fruits and vegetables that contain the highest amount of pesticides.
EWG Guide to Sunscreens
Alternative Daily: FDA Reports New Concerns with Sunscreen Ingredients
In general, mineral sunscreens tend to rate better than chemical sunscreens in the Environmental Working Group (EWG) sunscreen database.
Ask Men Australia: Best Sunscreens for Men
The oil-free formula has an EWG rating of one and applies smoothly and disappears like you’re not even wearing layers of SPF 30.
Best Products: We Tested These Sunscreens for Kids on My Son’s Melanated Skin to Find Out Which Ones Actually Worked
Over the years, sunscreen shopping has been demystified thanks to the Skin Cancer Foundation and the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.
Buzzfeed: 15 Sunscreens Reviewers Say Are Actually Non-Greasy And Don't Leave Any Residue
I found this gem on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website.
Coveteur: A No-B.S. Guide To Sunscreen Safety
All of the above points mean nothing if your SPF is lacking in the PF department (that’s Protection Factor, of course), and a 2019 study from the Environmental Working Group showed that an astounding 60 percent of sunscreens tested did not offer the advertised sun protection.
The Eagle: The (Com)Post: Sustainable BIPOC-owned businesses for everyday purchases
As a result, every item sold is sustainably made, plant-based, cruelty free and adheres to its policy avoiding ingredients on the Environmental Working Group’s “Toxic Twenty List.”
Tap Water Database
Duluth News-Tribune: Lawmakers discuss tighter regulations for private water wells
The nonprofit Environmental Working Group reported in March that nitrate levels in rural Minnesota oublic water systems have risen since the mid-1900s, likely because of agricultural runoff, and that the same could be true for private wells, which often draw from the same sources of water.
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition: Frack Waste Barges: Another Threat to Ohio River Valley Residents’ Drinking Water Supply
A quick glance of the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) data collected from public drinking water suppliers along the Ohio River reveals that all public drinking water sources along the river have pollutants that in many cases exceed the EWG health standards and in some cases exceed federal standards.
Mamavation: Best & Worst Shower Head Water Filters 2020
Check with EWG’s handy-dandy tap water database which can tell you what’s in your area by providing your zip code.
Indiana Public Media: How Polluted Is My Home Or Neighborhood? Here's How To Find Out
This is likely why the Environmental Working Group has their own water quality database — which may give a better idea about how your water measures up.