We are officially halfway through the 2023 legislative session, with both legislative and money crossover dates in the rear-view mirror. Our VPIRG team has been hard at work over the past few months pushing for common sense policies, from Bottle Bill modernization to ranked choice voting, and we’ve made great progress, thanks in large part …
On Friday, the Vermont Senate Committee on Health and Welfare unanimously passed legislation (S.25) to ban PFAS and other toxic chemicals from products including personal care products, textiles, and artificial turf fields. The bill is supported by Vermont small businesses, public health and children’s advocates, and environmental groups. It now heads to the full Senate …
Key Committee Advances Bill to Protect Vermonters from PFAS and Other Toxic Chemicals Read More »
New commitment follows nationwide campaign and state regulatory actions On February 21st, leading outdoor retailer REI announced it will ban PFAS “forever chemicals” (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) in all textile products and cookware from its suppliers, in a major update to its “Product Impact Standards” for its 1,000+ brand partners. REI’s restrictions take effect in the fall of 2024 for cookware …
We’ve recently wrapped up a busy, successful – and, in some cases, challenging – legislative session. VPIRG members helped win some exciting victories on environmental justice, getting mercury out of lighting in Vermont, a record-setting $200 million for climate action in the budget, and more! But we also faced some disappointments–falling just short in our …
Today, the Vermont Senate followed in the footsteps of the House of Representatives in adopting legislation to ban sales of 4-foot linear fluorescent light bulbs starting January 1, 2024.
The State Senate just took a major step towards environmental justice (EJ) in Vermont. S.148, which would be the state’s first environmental justice law, passed Tuesday on an overwhelming, tri-partisan 28-1 vote. We at VPIRG have joined dozens of groups supporting this bill because we see it as an essential step to bring more communities …
We’re halfway through the 2022 legislative session in Vermont, and though our work continues to look a little different due to the ongoing pandemic, we have made significant progress across the board on our legislative priorities. From the continuing fight for Bottle Bill modernization to advancing a landmark climate legislation, read on to see where …
Today, the Vermont House of Representatives gave final passage to legislation to ban sales of 4-foot linear fluorescent tubes starting January 1, 2024, a move that would cover about 90 percent of fluorescent tube installations. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration there. Read the full release below:
Vermont is on track to become the first state in the nation to ban the sale of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) after the lighting industry conceded to state officials that better, mercury-free alternatives are now widely available. Attention now turns to the wide variety of other mercury-containing fluorescent lighting still being sold for residential and …
Coalition Calls for Phase Out of Mercury in Lighting in Vermont A new report released today by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, the Mercury Policy Project and the Clean Lighting Coalition highlights the environmental and health risks posed when fluorescent lamps break, especially to vulnerable populations. The report provides concrete steps government, industry, consumers, and others, like …
