Maryland General Assembly Passes Bill to Study PFAS Testing in Pesticides

(Annapolis, MD) – Today, April 10, 2023, Maryland took an important step towards reducing exposure to the harmful chemicals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS found in contaminated pesticides. The Maryland General Assembly passed the Pesticides – PFAS Testing – Study bill (SB 158/HB 319), which requires the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), in […]

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First-in-the-Nation Website Identifies Safer Disinfectant Options

Online tool helps schools, the healthcare industry, and consumers sanitize and protect from COVID-19 variants without exposure to dangerous chemicals Although the use of disinfectants has increased in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been limited public knowledge about the potential serious health consequences associated with some of these disinfectants, including the […]

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How the Pesticide Industry Tried to Stop a Bill to Protect Bees in Maryland

A rare glimpse into the pesticide industry’s playbook, illuminated by emails US Right to Know obtained by FOIA revealing the coordinated tactics Md Dept. of Agriculture and the pesticide industry used to try to kill the 2015-16 bee bills. Despite this, Smart on Pesticides Coalition fought and won this first-in-the-nation legislation that banned outdoor consumer use […]

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Maryland Lacks Appropriate Systems to Track COVID Cases Among Poultry, Migrant, and Seasonal Farm and Food Workers

Marylanders for Food and Farm Worker Protection Coalition calls on the state to adopt new measures to help curb infectious diseases by collecting better COVID-19 data for the poultry industry and migrant seasonal food and farm workers Right now, migrant and seasonal farm workers are arriving in Maryland to support the state’s immense agriculture industry. […]

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Experts and Advocates Testify in Support of Bill Protecting Marylanders from Dangerous PFAS in Common Pesticides

PFAS and mosquito control products bill

Bill would ensure mosquito control products are free of PFAS contamination in order to safeguard public health Nationally renowned scientists, environmental advocates, and public health experts provided testimony to the Maryland House of Delegates Health and Government Operations committee today in favor of a bill to eliminate PFAS contamination in mosquito control products in Maryland. […]

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Maryland Essential Workers’ Protection Act Passes State Legislature, Safeguarding Food and Farm Workers During Enduring Pandemic

Essential food and farm workers Covid-19 vulnerable

A victory for temporary emergency protections, but more work to be done to protect food and farm workers  Last night, the Maryland legislature gave final approval to the Maryland Essential Workers’ Protection Act (HB 581 / SB 486), which is a small victory for essential workers, including food and farm workers who have often been […]

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General Assembly Passes Bill to Fix Pollinator Protection Act

Technical fix protects bees, pollinators, and Maryland’s food supply April 12, 2021, Annapolis, MD – Today, the Maryland General Assembly gave final passage to legislation (HB208 / SB375) that will provide a critical technical fix to the bipartisan 2016 Pollinator Protection Act to end all consumer use of outdoor, home, lawn, and garden products that contain neonicotinoid (or neonic) pesticide, as the […]

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PFAS Found in Widely Used Insecticide

Environmental groups call on EPA and Maryland to find and eliminate source March 26, 2021, Washington, D.C. — An insecticide widely used in public mosquito control contains high levels of toxic“forever chemicals,” according to test results ordered by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Maryland Pesticide Education Network (MPEN). Because per-and polyfluoralkyl substances […]

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OpEd” MD Lawmakers Should Override the Veto of the Chlorpyrifos Ban

MD Lawmakers Should Override the Veto of the Chlorpyrifos BanBy: Dr. Jerome Paulson January 21, 2021 The Smart on Pesticides Maryland coalition, spearheaded by the Maryland Pesticide Education Network, works to protect Marylanders and the natural systems we depend upon from the toxic impacts of pesticides. The coalition includes 78 organizations, and institutions representing communities, […]

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New Maryland Coalition Calls on Governor Hogan To Protect Food and Farm Workers

  Over 100 groups form the Marylanders for Food and Farm Worker Protection Coalition call for executive order providing COVID-19 protections for poultry, seafood, and agricultural workers. September 3, 2020, Eastern Shore, MD — Today, a new coalition of over 100 groups fighting for workers’ rights launched its campaign calling on Governor Hogan to issue an […]

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