Environmental Groups Urge Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Not to Use Inflation Reduction Act Money to Promote Plastic Burning
Eve Fox Eve Fox

Environmental Groups Urge Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Not to Use Inflation Reduction Act Money to Promote Plastic Burning

106 environmental and community groups submitted a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, urging her to withdraw the federal agency’s $182.6 million loan guarantee for the International Recycling Group’s (IRG) proposed plastic waste facility in Erie, PA, and a steel mill in northwest IN. The IRG plant, according to the company’s permit applications, will take plastic waste from a 750-mile radius and send what it doesn’t mechanically recycle to northwest Indiana to be burned.

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New Siena Poll: 58% of Voters Wanted Legislature to Pass Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
Andrew Craigie Andrew Craigie

New Siena Poll: 58% of Voters Wanted Legislature to Pass Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act

After Governor Hochul abruptly canceled congestion pricing, which impacted the final days of the New York State legislative session, the New York State Assembly went home without passing the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, despite the bill passing in the senate on June 7th, and reports that the bill was set to pass in the assembly. Now, a new Siena Poll shows that 58% to 31% of New York voters think the legislature should have passed the bill.

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100 Environmental Justice Communities Across USA Write to Speaker Heastie and Senator Stewart Cousins to Reduce Plastic Packaging by 50% and Protect Their Health
Andrew Craigie Andrew Craigie

100 Environmental Justice Communities Across USA Write to Speaker Heastie and Senator Stewart Cousins to Reduce Plastic Packaging by 50% and Protect Their Health

From Appalachia to Louisiana to Texas, leaders of frontline environmental justice communities harmed by plastic pollution sent a letter to Speaker Heastie and Leader Stewart-Cousins urging them to pass the strongest Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act possible, with national impact

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Judith Enck Challenges America’s Plastic Makers to a ‘Cheese Debate’
Andrew Craigie Andrew Craigie

Judith Enck Challenges America’s Plastic Makers to a ‘Cheese Debate’

This morning, the Albany Times Union reported on the New York state Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A5322B Glick / S4246B Harckham), and claims from opponents that the legislation would be a terrible nuisance to New Yorkers who absolutely cannot live without individually wrapped cheese slices.

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New Report: Vinyl Chloride Accidents Have Happened Once Every Five Days Since 2010
Andrew Craigie Andrew Craigie

New Report: Vinyl Chloride Accidents Have Happened Once Every Five Days Since 2010

A new report released by Beyond Plastics and Earthjustice details the significant extent to which people are exposed to vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen. Incidents in which vinyl chloride was illegally released into the environment or a workplace, often exposing people to this dangerous toxin, have occurred every five days since 2010, highlighting the harm companies pose to people and the environment due to lack of oversight.

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Hidden Cost of Plastics: New Study Shows Single-Use Plastics Worse for Health Than Previously Known
Andrew Craigie Andrew Craigie

Hidden Cost of Plastics: New Study Shows Single-Use Plastics Worse for Health Than Previously Known

Advocates and leading medical doctors held a virtual news conference to highlight new research in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing that microplastics are linked to increased heart attacks and strokes, in addition to the many previously known negative impacts of single-use plastics to everyday New Yorkers’ health. The group highlighted the out-of-control expansion of single-use plastic and called on Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act

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