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Toxic algae exposure leads to more than 300 emergency room visits in three years

Harmful algae blooms caused 321 emergency room visits between 2017 and 2019 for respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurologic and skin problems, a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study says...

Avoid potentially toxic algae during Labor Day weekend: Almost 400 outbreaks already in 2021

At least 39 states are suffering potentially toxic algae bloom outbreaks this year, with almost 400 news reports of incidents already in 2021 – a 25 percent leap from reports by the same time last...

Growing farm conservation backlog shows need for Congress to spend smarter

Despite billions of dollars in federal spending, the U.S. has a growing backlog of farmers seeking assistance for conservation efforts that can protect drinking water supplies. It’s time for Congress...

Federal crop insurance reform vital for incentivizing climate adaptation on farms

New research proves the climate crisis is costing taxpayers billions of dollars in federal crop insurance payouts for losses due to rising temperatures, underscoring the urgent need for insurance...

Lake Erie’s annual algae outbreak mostly threatens health of people in disadvantaged communities

A new Environmental Working Group analysis reveals that Lake Erie’s annual algae bloom problem, which releases the toxin microcystin into the water, may pose elevated health risks for the communities...

Interview: Lack of ‘conservation compliance’ highlights need for stricter federal oversight

Farmers are failing to comply with federal “conservation compliance” requirements designed to protect wetlands and soil, according to University of Iowa Associate Professor Silvia Secchi, who says the...

Study: Pesticides harm soil invertebrates but EPA fails to recognize impact

After reviewing hundreds of pesticide analyses, a recent study found that many pesticides approved for use in the U.S. and elsewhere are very damaging to soil invertebrates like earthworms, beetles...

Stay safe from toxic algae in water during Independence Day weekend

Extreme heat expected in many parts of the U.S. this Fourth of July weekend will likely bring millions of people to the beach, but an EWG analysis shows that recreation is not safe in or near all...

In Midwest farm states, nitrate pollution of tap water is more likely in lower-income communities

In three leading Midwestern agricultural states, communities whose drinking water is contaminated with nitrate are more likely to be lower income.

It’s already a big year for algae outbreaks

It is not even June, yet algae blooms are already erupting in lakes, rivers and streams across the United States.

Do farmers need more federal welfare?

Every year, the American Farm Bureau Federation and other Big Ag lobby groups demand more federal subsidies for farmers. Before that happens this year, with the farm economy white-hot, it’s time to...

Fungicides commonly found on citrus linked to breast cancer risk

Consumption of two fungicides found on nearly 90 percent of citrus samples tested by EWG, and of two other pesticides – widely used insecticides – may increase women’s risk of developing...

USDA Data: Nearly All Pandemic Bailout Funds Went to White Farmers

Nearly all of the billions of dollars in federal farm bailouts to offset the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic went to white farmers, newly revealed Department of Agriculture data show.

Timeline: Black Farmers and the USDA, 1920 to Present

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a long history of discrimination against Black farmers.

What the Biden Administration Should Do To Protect Children From Toxic Pesticides

The administration of President Joe Biden has a mountain of work to do to reverse the damage done by the Trump administration. It should begin by taking swift action to ban and restrict the toxic...

Minnesota Legislator Who Believes ‘Water Cleans Itself’ Defends Potato Giant’s Irrigation Expansion in Fragile Pineland Sands

From November 2019 to February 2020, Minnesota environmental regulators met several times behind closed doors to fabricate a rationale for not holding the nation's largest potato grower accountable...

Study: Nitrate in Wisconsin’s Drinking Water Linked to Cancer, Preterm Births and Up To $74 Million in Yearly Healthcare Costs

Nitrate contamination of drinking water in Wisconsin may cause nearly 300 cases a year of colorectal and other cancers and increase the risk of very premature births, very low birth weight and birth...

6 Ways the Biden Administration Should Protect Food and Farm Workers From Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic – worsened by the Trump administration's woefully anemic response – has taken the lives of more than 300 food and farm workers and sickened tens of thousands more, turning the...

How Can the Biden Administration Fix America’s Broken Food System?

The staggering number of food and farm workers who have died from Covid-19 has laid bare the Trump administration's disastrous policies on food and farm issues.

Trump’s Ag Secretary Wants EU To Have Polluted Water, Too

President Donald Trump and his secretary of agriculture have a message for Europeans: We want you to drink polluted water too.

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