Toxins and Pollution

PCC signed on to a joint letter encouraging the Washington State legislature to pass HB 1099 with full funding and requirements for greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

PCC submitted comments to the Department of Ecology expressing support for the draft recommendations to limit or require disclosure of priority toxic chemicals in consumer products.

PCC signed on to a letter opposing Monsanto’s petition to the Supreme Court requesting a review of the California court case Monsanto Company v. Hardeman, which found in favor of the plaintiffs that Round Up can cause cancer.

PCC submitted written testimony to the Washington State Senate in support of SB 5703, an act that would restrict and require disclosure of toxic chemicals in cosmetics.

PCC joined other businesses in the Climate Collaborative’s #Call4ClimateNOW campaign to urge legislators to pass strong and ambitious climate policy now.

PCC submitted a letter to the Washington State legislature’s House Appropriations Committee expressing support for the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act, which would address health impacts from pollution and climate change.

PCC submitted comments on the Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH) final proposed rule for updates to the Food Safety Code, expressing overall support for DOH’s efforts but also continuing to push for expanded refillable container options.

PCC endorsed the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act of 2020 (PACTPA), which would provide much needed improvements to existing pesticide laws and regulations to better protect people and the environment.

PCC submitted comments to the Washington State House Environment and Energy Committee on the single-use food service products legislation, expressing support of the overall goals and providing specific feedback on how to improve the bill should it pass.

PCC provided a first round of comments to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), asking to expand options for consumers to use their own, reusable containers in food establishments.

PCC submitted a letter to the Washington State Environment and Energy Committee on January 31, 2019 to express our support for HB 1113, an act to amend the state greenhouse gas emission limits.

PCC is serious about getting toxic chemicals out of consumer products, which is why on January 24, 2019, we submitted a letter of support for the Pollution Prevention for Our Futures Act.

PCC signed onto a joint letter asking the NOSB to consider decertification of organic farms and use of prohibited substances in fracking operations to its work agenda.

Glyphosate residues allowed on oats increased 300-fold since 1997 and exceeds protective levels.

PCC supports Washington state Initiative 1631, which establishes a fee on carbon emissions and invests in clean air, clean water, and a healthier environment.

PCC opposes reopening a loophole that puts new frames over dirty old engines to circumvent pollution standards. These super-polluting engines emit harmful soot and pollutants.

Amidst heavy industry consolidation, PCC requests the Antitrust Division of DOJ conduct a thorough investigation and analysis of the Bayer-Monsanto merger.

PCC supports the National Organic Standards Board vote to prohibit hydroponics. We also ask it to prohibit BPA as a food contact substance in organic food packaging.

PCC opposes Scott Pruitt's reversal of EPA's proposed ban of the insecticide chlorpyrifos on food crops.

PCC asks the DOJ to investigate three proposed seed company mergers: Dow and DuPont, Bayer and Monsanto, and Syngenta and ChemChina.

PCC provides testimony to Washington State House Environmental Committee in support of a bill to restrict perfluorinated chemicals in food packaging.

PCC proposes dialogue in the chocolate industry to address cadmium and lead contamination. As You Sow names Theo, Equal Exchange, and Green & Black's chocolate brands as high in cadmium.

This joint letter urges Seattle's school district to implement all components of its Integrated Pest Management program, approved in 2012.

PCC supports OTA's proposal to revise the language of "natural flavors" in organics and remove lignin sulfonate from the National List. Lignin sulfonate is a post-harvest floating agent for pears.

Comments to National Organic Standards Board: seed purity research, BPA/PBS in packaging, glyphosate in compost, GMO contamination, changes to Sunset Provision, and gellan gum.

This letter asks the Congressional Organic Caucus to urge USDA to reverse changes to the Sunset Provision that make it easier to use synthetics in organic food.

PCC opposes USDA's changes to the Sunset Provision. They make it easier for synthetics to be allowed and harder to remove them from organic products.

PCC joins the Center for Food Safety in endorsing the Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2013. It would reduce use of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides.

PCC submits results of our shopper survey to NOSB. Data shows shoppers do not support a loophole that allows non-essential, synthetic "nutrients" in organic foods.

PCC urges our Washington State officials to ask EPA to ban the herbicide atrazine. Independent scientists say EPA understates the risks.

EPA needs to ban the herbicide atrazine. It's linked to hormonal disruption and birth defects and poses unreasonable environmental risks.

This act needs amending to protect small-scale producers from unnecessary, burdensome regulations. Most incidents of contamination are in industrialized supply chains.

PCC joins a coalition letter to the U.S. Senate, urging amendments to improve food safety without handicapping small-scale food producers.

Sodium lactate is not allowed in foods labeled "natural" and allowing it in organic food makes no sense. We ask NOSB to review.

In its current form, this bill could have hurt family farms, regional food systems, organic farming, and conservation efforts. Our coalition recommends remedies.

Irradiation reduces nutrient value and food quality and can create chemical byproducts. Irradiation doesn't address or remove contaminants or food-borne pathogens.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service is the only free and publicly available data on agricultural chemical use. It's an invaluable tool for researchers to obtain neutral information.

PCC and other groups urge EPA to phase out toxic fumigants that harm farmworkers' health and the environment.

The Governor and legislature should support measuring pesticide exposure among farm workers and their families.

Thirteen pesticides exceed levels established to protect aquatic life, others are detected at levels shown by scientific criteria to be harmful to salmon.

PCC opposes USDA's consideration of irradiated meat for the National School Lunch Program. Irradiation creates novel chemicals in food and does not remove contaminants or address dirty processing plants.

PCC submits a letter of support for WSU's Organic Cropping Research and Education for the Northwest Program. It deserves funding because it will benefit our growers, residents and the environment.

PCC supports a state Task Force to evaluate the impact of pesticides on salmon. Phase out the most hazardous pesticides, adopt a precautionary approach.

Allowing toxic waste from steel mills and mining to be "recycled" in fertilizers is unacceptable. EPA should ban this practice and eliminate loopholes in fertilizer regulations.

The Seattle Times has done excellent work uncovering the issues around persistent bioaccumulative toxins in agricultural fertilizer.

PCC supports the Dept. of Ecology's plan to address the reduction of toxic waste in fertilizer. We urge stronger rules, especially for dioxin and PBT contaminated waste.

Diazinon is a nerve poison linked to increased risk of cancer and is found at high levels in King County waters. We urge EPA to ban it from use on many food crops.