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Healthy Kids, Healthy Maryland

PROTECTING MARYLANDERS FROM TOXICS—Maryland PIRG is working with state lawmakers and our powerful coalition, connecting concerned citizens with their representatives, and reaching out to the media in our fight to make Maryland toxics-free.

Protecting Maryland Families

We need to do more to regulate toxic chemicals and prevent vulnerable populations, like women of reproductive age, developing children and factory workers from being unwittingly exposed to toxic chemicals.

Today, we are seeing the long-term impact that dangerous chemicals have on people. Leukemia, brain cancer and other childhood cancers have increased by more than 20% since 1975; asthma rates have doubled since 1980; and autism diagnoses have increased tenfold in the last 15 years.

OUR COMMONSENSE STEPS TO A TOXIC-FREE MARYLAND

Our campaign pushes for concrete steps that will help make it easier for Marylanders to protect themselves from toxic chemicals.

The Healthy Kids, Healthy Maryland platform calls for three commonsense steps to protect Marylanders from toxic chemical exposure:

  • Phase out chemicals we know are dangerous, and replace them with safest alternatives available;
  • Provide consumers with health and safety information about the presence of toxic chemicals in everyday products; and
  • Support and encourage research, innovation, education and technology transfer in the field of green chemistry, making Maryland a leader in safe product development.

Issue updates

Blog Post | Public Health, Consumer Protection

Maryland PIRG 2013 Testimony: HB 99 | Jenny Levin

Tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate, or TCEP, is a flame retardant found in polyurethane foam as well as in other products.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG | Consumer Protection

Flame Retardant Ban Passes Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland Senate yesterday passed HB 99, which bans child care products for children under 3 containing the flame-retardant chemical TCEP. The chemical is one of several flame-retardants highly criticized by health advocates for their toxic effects in laboratory studies and persistence in the household environment. The bill is sponsored by Delegate James Hubbard from Prince Georges County. House bill 99 has now passed both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly and is on its way to Governor O’Malley’s desk.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Maryland PIRG 2013 General Assembly Session Priorities | Jenny Levin

Maryland PIRG is an advocate for the public interest. Our mission is to deliver persistent, results-oriented public interest activism that protects public health, respects consumers’ rights, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters a responsive, democratic government. There are hundreds of registered lobbyists in Annapolis all are looking out for one particular segment of the population or special interest; we are one of the few groups working in the Capitol whose job is to think about what’s good for EVERYONE.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland | Laura Muth

It’s a holiday morning and kids all over the world are waking up to open their presents. Big smiles and laughter abound.  What could be wrong with this picture?

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection

Survey Finds Dangerous Toys on Store Shelves

This morning Maryland PIRG Foundation released the report, revealing the results of laboratory testing on toys for lead, cadmium and phthalates, all of which have been proven to have serious adverse health impacts on the development of young children.  The survey also found small toys that pose a choking hazard, extremely loud toys that threaten children’s hearing, and toy magnets that can cause serious injury.

> Keep Reading

Pages

News Release | Maryland PIRG | Consumer Protection

Flame Retardant Ban Passes Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland Senate yesterday passed HB 99, which bans child care products for children under 3 containing the flame-retardant chemical TCEP. The chemical is one of several flame-retardants highly criticized by health advocates for their toxic effects in laboratory studies and persistence in the household environment. The bill is sponsored by Delegate James Hubbard from Prince Georges County. House bill 99 has now passed both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly and is on its way to Governor O’Malley’s desk.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection

Survey Finds Dangerous Toys on Store Shelves

This morning Maryland PIRG Foundation released the report, revealing the results of laboratory testing on toys for lead, cadmium and phthalates, all of which have been proven to have serious adverse health impacts on the development of young children.  The survey also found small toys that pose a choking hazard, extremely loud toys that threaten children’s hearing, and toy magnets that can cause serious injury.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

NEW SURVEY SHOWS FREE CHECKING WIDELY AVAILABLE AT SMALL BANKS BUT BANKS STILL HIDING FEES FROM CONSUMERS

A survey of hundreds of banks and credit unions in 24 states and the District of Columbia found that free checking remains available at more than 6 out of 10 small banks and credit unions but was only found at one-quarter of surveyed big banks (those with over $10 billion in deposits). The survey released today by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group also revealed that fewer than half of branches surveyed obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers on the first request, while 12% provided no fee information at all.

> Keep Reading
News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

NEW REPORT: AMERICAN LIVES AT RISK FROM UNSAFE FOODS

Despite government commitments to address the problem, food recalls are on the rise and our food safety systems are broken, according to a new report by U.S. PIRG.  Contaminated food makes 48 million Americans sick every year and costs over $77 billion in aggregated economic costs.  In the USA over the last 21 months, 1753 people were made sick from foodborne illnesses linked directly to food recalls and the cost was over $227 million.

> Keep Reading
Media Hit | Consumer Protection, Higher Ed

Financial aid award letters often lack transparency and wind up confusing students and parents

With student loan debt exceeding $1 trillion and families increasingly questioning whether a college education is worth it, colleges should be embracing making financial aid award letters clear and uniform. Transparency may not solve the student debt problem, but it can help students and parents make better-informed decisions.

> Keep Reading

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Result | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

Reining in Wall Street

On July 15, the U.S. Senate passed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act by a count of 60 to 39.

> Keep Reading
Result | Consumer Protection

BPA Ban

In 2010, Maryland became the 4th state in the nation to phase out the toxic chemcial CPA from baby bottles and sippy cups.

> Keep Reading
Result | Consumer Protection

Ending Credit card abuses

Many abusive credit card practices, such as repeated over-the-limit fees and universal default are outlawed thanks to a 2010 federal law backed by Maryland PIRG.

> Keep Reading
Result | Consumer Protection

Eliminating Toxic Mercury

In 2009, we played a role in addressing the largest manufacturing source of mercury in the state.

> Keep Reading
Result | Consumer Protection

Despite Big Tobacco, winning smoke-free restaurants

In 2007, Maryland PIRG Foundation and Maryland PIRG Citizen Lobby helped lead the campaign to make all Baltimore workplaces, including restaurants and bars, smoke-free.

> Keep Reading
Report | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection

TROUBLE IN TOYLAND

The enactment of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 made great strides in toy safety and strengthened the ability of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to protect consumers, including the littlest consumers—children. Although policymakers delayed implementation of its most stringent lead standard rules and enacted some narrow exceptions in 2011, on the whole the law has been protected from attempts to undermine it.

> Keep Reading
Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Maryland PIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

BIG BANKS, BIGGER FEES

Over the last six months, state PIRG staff conducted inquiries at 250 bank and 116 credit union branches in 17 states and the District of Columbia and reviewed bank fees online in these and 7 other states. This report, “Big Banks, Bigger Fees: A National Survey of Fees and Disclosure Compliance,” examines the following questions:

 How easy is it for consumers to shop around? Are banks complying with the Truth In Savings Act, which requires disclosure of a schedule of account fees to prospective customers?

> Keep Reading
Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

TOTAL FOOD RECALL: UNSAFE FOODS PUTTING AMERICAN LIVES AT RISK

Despite government commitments to address the problem, food recalls are on the rise and our food safety systems are broken, according to a new report by U.S. PIRG. 

> Keep Reading
Report | Common Cause | Consumer Protection, Democracy

TOXIC SPENDING

Since passage of the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1976, the debate over disclosing and reducing the risks that certain chemicals pose to human health and the environment has been dominated by two important trends. First is the growing body of evidence that certain chemicals are harmful to human health, and the growing number of chemicals in daily use whose effects on human health have not been fully studied.

> Keep Reading
Report | Maryland PIRG, WTC, Safer States | Consumer Protection

Hidden Hazards in the Nursery

Parents expect the products they buy for their babies to be safe. But new testing of 20 baby and children’s products, including bassinet pads, nursing pillows, changing pads, and car seats, has found toxic flame retardants in 85% of the items.

> Keep Reading

Pages

Blog Post | Public Health, Consumer Protection

Maryland PIRG 2013 Testimony: HB 99 | Jenny Levin

Tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate, or TCEP, is a flame retardant found in polyurethane foam as well as in other products.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Maryland PIRG 2013 General Assembly Session Priorities | Jenny Levin

Maryland PIRG is an advocate for the public interest. Our mission is to deliver persistent, results-oriented public interest activism that protects public health, respects consumers’ rights, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters a responsive, democratic government. There are hundreds of registered lobbyists in Annapolis all are looking out for one particular segment of the population or special interest; we are one of the few groups working in the Capitol whose job is to think about what’s good for EVERYONE.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland | Laura Muth

It’s a holiday morning and kids all over the world are waking up to open their presents. Big smiles and laughter abound.  What could be wrong with this picture?

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection, Higher Ed

SUPREME COURT HEARS CASE ON TEXTBOOK PRICES WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR ALL SECONDARY MARKETS (AMAZON, EBAY) | Ed Mierzwinski

Yesterday, in one of the few government buildings open for business during Hurricane Sandy, the Supreme Court heard an important case,Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, concerning whether publishers can restrict owners of books from reselling their used legally-purchased copies. 

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection, Health Care

Here’s that Rx refill you didn’t order | Jenny Levin

Is your pharmacy refilling your prescription without your knowledge or approval, and billing your insurance company for the cost?

> Keep Reading

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