The latest from EWG’s staff of experts
EWG News Roundup (1/22): Toxic Pesticides That President Biden Should Target, EPA Takes Initial Steps To Regulate PFAS and More
Friday, January 22, 2021
This week, President Joe Biden was sworn into office, which allows a brand-new opportunity to set safeguards to protect children from toxic pesticides. EWG broke down 11 pesticides and classes of pesticides whose use the new administration should target.
On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would take preliminary actions to regulate the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in drinking water. The agency made a final determination to set drinking water limits for PFOA, a PFAS compound once used to make Teflon, and PFOS, a chemical that used to be an ingredient in Scotchgard – which is the first step in the long process of regulation.
Meatpacking Industry Pushes for Worker Vaccinations
Big meatpacking companies like Tyson and JBS are working to get their employees vaccination quickly to avoid more coronavirus cases in meatpacking facilities.
By Nikki Johnson-Bolden
Jan 21, 2021
As COVID-19 cases rise within the meatpacking industry, top meatpacking companies and unions are advocating for meatpacking workers to be a priority vaccination group, according to Bloomberg Government.
Various meatpacking facilities have been cited by OSHA for COVID-19 violations. The Food Environment Reporting Network reports 53,620 positive coronavirus cases and 269 deaths among meatpacking employees as of Jan. 15.
Companies such as Tyson Food, JBS and Cargill Inc. are attempting to get workers vaccinated. Tyson has partnered with Matrix Medical Network, a clinical services company, as part of the company’s effort to vaccinate its employees. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union also wrote a letter on Dec. 23
Photo credit: Getty Images As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden ripped into the Trump administration’s handling of workplace inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic. And he endorsed a range of policies that would aid food system workers, from raising raising frontline worker wages to releasing enforceable workplace standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Now, within his first 100 days in office, President Biden should make good on his promises, workplace advocates say, by establishing emergency standards to curb the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces and increasing employer oversight. He should also fill crucial senior positions in OSHA left vacant by the Trump administration. OSHA has been criticized for failing to investigate scores of complaints from workers exposed to COVID-19 on the job.
January 20, 2021 Tagged In
America’s Largest Food & Retail Union Calls Biden Calls for Unity and Bipartisanship to Aid America’s Essential Workers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the
represents 1.3 million frontline food and retail workers , welcomed the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at this critical point in the pandemic. As COVID-19 cases skyrocket across the country, UFCW is calling on Republicans and Democrats in Congress to work together on President Biden’s agenda to take control of the pandemic and protect essential workers, including more than a million UFCW members on the frontlines in grocery stores, meatpacking plants and other critical jobs keeping Americans safe.