In an interview last week (Jan. 16) at the pesticide lobby's D.C. headquarters, Washington State University Environmental Toxicology Professor Allan Felsot told Energy and Environment News (subscription required):

"When you pick up food, you are eating thousands of chemicals at a time."

Of course he's absolutely right.

But that probably wasn't the talking point the spin-doctors at the pesticide trade group CropLife America were hoping for.

Each year, U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists test various fruits and vegetables - after they've been washed and peeled - and each year they find large numbers of pesticide residues.

Professor Felsot, who co-authored a report titled Pesticides and Health: Myths and Realities for the American Council on Science and Health, an industry-friendly organization supported by chemical and pesticide makers, was in the nation's capital last week at the behest of the group to help dispel concerns people have about eating these toxic chemicals.

That's no easy task, considering that a number of leading scientists and pediatricians have become increasingly concerned - and vocal - about the risks to children from dietary exposures to pesticides; not to mention the clear preference of consumers, whose shopping choices have turned organic farming into a $26 billion-a-year business.

And don't forget, of course, the long list of independent research studies that connect pesticide exposure to serious health risks. Just last April, three separate studies came out with stunningly similar findings of a connection between prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides and diminished IQ in children.

The next day, in a television interview with Monica Trauzzi of Environment and Energy News (subscription required), Felsot said this when he responded to a question about organic produce:

"I think that organic farming has a place in the market and I think that organic farmers, I know for a fact, also use pesticides. It's a matter of choosing which poison, if you will, that you want to use."

That's not a typo.

He basically said, "Pesticides are poison."

They must have loved that at CropLife America. The professor was on a roll.

Felsot failed to mention that the "pesticides" applied by certified organic farmers are made from natural sources and do not contain synthetic chemicals, unlike those used by conventional agriculture. That's a big difference. But his characterization of pesticides used by conventional growers as "poison" is mostly accurate, and that's the driving force behind the explosion of the organic industry. People don't want to eat "poison" along with their fruits and vegetables.

How crazy is that?

A number of the pesticides used on conventional produce, or as Felsot characterized them, "poisons," have been linked in careful studies to cognitive delays, birth defects and cancer.

It's true that Professor Felsot has lectured and conducted extensive research on pesticides for decades, as is evident in this 53-page resume. However, what wasn't mentioned in the press reports of his visit to Washington were his long financial ties to the pesticide and chemical industry.

According to his own accounting on that resume (page 51), he's received nearly $300,000 in funding from a long list of industry interests, including American Cyanamid Co., Chevron Chem. Co., Fison-Boots Chem. Corp., FMC Corp., Herbert Stanley Co., Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association, Imperial Chemical Industries, Macon Co. Mosquito Abatement District, Myers Chemical Co., N.W. Ill. Mosquito Abatement District, Sierra Chem Co., Stauffer Chemical Co., Union Carbide, Union Oil Co. and UniRoyal Chemical.
Felsot also lists substantial funding from large grower groups and the USDA.

And that's some relevant fine print.

By Alex Rindler, Policy Associate

According to a Huffington Post article published today, U.S. Marine Corps officials have urged federal health experts not to release complete information about an ongoing federal water assessment at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, home to the largest documented case of water contamination at a domestic military facility.

Last week, Major General J.A. Kessler wrote officials of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a letter dated January 5th, asking for careful review of information about active water systems that "potentially places those who live or work aboard the base at risk."

Apparently Marine brass is worried that this information may end up in the wrong hands. No American wants to see that happen. But where was this insistence on greater force protection when cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene and vinyl chloride were contaminating Camp Lejeune's drinking water? Lejeune officials repeatedly ignored warnings from independent scientists for four and a half years before finally taking serious steps to mitigate the pollution in 1984.

By then it was too late. Of the estimated 1 million people exposed to these chemicals while living and working aboard the base at least 73 have been diagnosed with male breast cancer and many more suffer from other rare cancers, chronic diseases and birth defects.

Given the Marine Corps' history of deception on this issue, its desire to protect "critical infrastructure information" from the public seems like just another attempt to further hinder the assessment process led by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This agency is conducting a battery of health studies including a mortality study of former Camp Lejeune residents, to be released in the coming year.

Thankfully, due to the leadership of Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (R-N.Y.) the Secretary of Defense is now required by law to consider whether the government's need to withhold this kind of information is outweighed by greater public interest, say, a veteran's right to know if her child's leukemia may have been caused by exposure to toxic chemicals.

The Environmental Working Group urges Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to give the public right to know high priority when limiting disclosure of information related to Camp Lejeune and other polluted military bases.

Please watch this trailer for the award-winning documentary, "Semper Fi: Always Faithful", which details the incident and its effects on Camp Lejeune's community. The film has been short-listed for an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

We've all seen (or at least heard of) the movie "Erin Brockovich" in which a bold and fiercely determined mom takes on a chemical company for exposing a small town and the families and children that live there to toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer. It's Academy Award winning material.

And it's happening again.

In a small town in Colorado, 600 yards from three elementary schools and a childcare center, the natural gas industry is about to drill wells and expose hundreds of school children to chemicals that have never been proven safe, for which there is no accountability when it comes to their safe disposal and for which there is no clarity on who would assume liability (and future medical bills) for the health of these children should they become ill.

It's an unprecedented situation, because in the haste to drill, no regulations and no long-term human health studies have been conducted to assess the impact that these processes and the chemicals used in them might have on the health of children.

According to the Denver Post, "the American landscape is dotted with hundreds of thousands of new wells and thousands of drilling rigs, as the country scrambles to tap into this century's gold rush for natural gas.

Drilling companies have developed techniques to unlock these enormous reserves, and energy companies are clamoring to drill.

But the relatively new drilling method -- known as high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking -- carries significant environmental risks. It involves injecting huge amounts of water, mixed with sand and chemicals, at high pressures to break up rock formations and release the gas."

Given that the American children have already earned the title "Generation Rx", due to the rates of asthma, allergies, autism, ADHD, diabetes and the fact that cancer is now the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 (source: Centers for Disease Control), perhaps it is time that we stop and learn a little bit more.
Angie Nordstrum, a mother of a young child with multiple food allergies and asthma, sheds light on what is happening at her child's school:

My son attends the new Red Hawk Elementary in Erie, Colorado. This state of the art green school is a LEED certified building which means that it is complete with geothermal heat system, super insulated building envelope, skylights and displacement ventilation.

The mission of the school is to focus on math, science, technology and integration of the arts by fostering a sense of environmental responsibility by taking care of one's self with healthy eating and exercise and reducing environmental waste. Students begin each school day outside. The school also has a 1,500 square foot garden space. Students and staff will be an integral part of the gardens, with beds for each grade level.

In the news recently, you may have heard of something called "fracking" or "hydraulic fracturing". It is a drilling process used by the natural gas industry to extract natural gas from beneath the ground.

And there are health and safety concerns about it. Despite provisions in the Clean Air Act, there is something called the Halliburton Loophole that allows the gas companies to inject proprietary mixtures of methane, ethane, liquid condensate, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the wells. Some of the VOCs that are used in the mixtures have a significant impact on health and include benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene.

Health effects of exposure to these chemicals include neurological problems, birth defects, and cancer. Other symptoms may include bloody noses, asthma, GI distress, diarrhea, dizziness, migraines, nerve pain, neurological disorders and skin rashes. These health risks pose a potential threat to children.

Yet despite these concerns, drilling is beginning on eight natural gas wells less than 600 yards from our school, Erie Elementary, Erie Middle School and Exploring Minds Childcare Center. Yes, three schools and a childcare center are about to be exposed to an unprecedented experiment in children's health.

Will the school nurse will be seeing dozens of sick children in her office. What health issues will these students have in 5 years? In 10 years?

The companies will begin the drilling process in the next couple of weeks. It will be visible from my son's classroom. The only access to the site will be from the road which runs right in front of the school. Let me repeat that, "The only access to the site will be from the road which runs right in front of the school" because while there is another road that is actually closer to the drilling site, this road cannot be used for drilling transportation because the chemical-carrying trucks are not allowed to cross railroad tracks on the course of their path.

At what point are children more valuable than railroad tracks? The trucks transporting the chemicals cannot cross the railroad tracks but they can transport toxic chemicals right in front of the entrance to our school?

Erie is an old coal mining town. There are parks and ball fields built on top of these mines for kids to enjoy all over our town. Our school garden sits on top of an old mine. We don't want our children to be the canaries in the natural gas coal mine.

To learn what you can do to protect yourself and your family and how to prevent the drilling of these wells near children's schools, the following pages and resources provide information about:

• The drilling planned for your community.


• The harm drilling can cause.


• Steps you can take to limit the dangers to yourself and your family.


• Resources in each state in which drilling is or is likely to occur.

• EWG: Natural Gas Industry Hides Risks of Fracking from Landowners


• Natural Resources Defense Council: Steps to Keep You and Your Family Safe from Fracking


• Sign On: Request a Moratorium on Oil and Gas Drilling Near Schools in Colorado


• "What You Need to Know About Natural Gas Production"


• Gasland: The Movie


• Blue Green Alliance: Chemicals in the Environment


• Fracking Across the United States: Learn about "Fraccidents" and How to Protect Your Loved Ones

In 2010, EWG identified chromium-VI contamination in the drinking water of 31 of the 35 cities we tested. One Kentucky city has stepped up to solve that problem.

A change in how drinking water is treated in Louisville, Ky., has dramatically reduced contamination by suspected carcinogen chromium-6.

Environmental Working Group tests made public in December 2010 showed that chromium-6 levels in the Louisville water supply were higher than the safe limit proposed at the time by California public health officials. The dangers of pollution by this industrial chemical, a suspected carcinogen also known as hexavalent chromium, came to national attention in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich.

James Bruggers of the Louisville Courier-Journal reported on Dec. 31 that Louisville Water Co. managers, troubled by the EWG report, discovered that the culprit was lime, a softening agent used at one of its water treatment plants. By adding lime earlier in the process, Bruggers wrote, the utility lowered the chromium-6 level of the plant's finished tap water by 80 percent.

In response to EWG's report that found chromium contamination in 31 of 35 city water supplies tested, the federal Environmental Protection Agency early last year issued guidance to states and water utilities nationwide on how to test for the carcinogen. The agency has since announced plans to set a stringent safety standard for chromium-6 contamination in tap water.

Which states are taking steps to inform residents of chromium-6 in their drinking water? EWG senior scientist Rebecca Sutton reported on Enviroblog last July that California, Hawaii, Illinois and Wisconsin are actively working on the problem. Others, among them Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Oregon, have inadequate testing plans or none at all.

Check for your city's results, if tested, here. EWG's Tips for Safer Drinking Water (left) cover chromium-VI and other contaminants.

People are messy. So is nature. And what people do when nature unleashes its fury often makes things worse.

The staff at Environmental Working Group took a look at the major environmental news stories of the year and came up with two lists: the Top 10 Good News storie and the Top 10 Bad News stories.

Since environmentalism is mostly about limiting or preventing the harms done to people's and the planet's health by careless human activity, it's hardly surprising that all but one of the "good news stories" involved doing something about problems that we humans created. The only exceptions involved contaminants that can come from both natural and man-made sources.

The message, once again, is that we are our own worst enemy. Good news comes when we do something to clean up our messes. Bad news comes when we create brand new environmental harms or risks, or just plain fail to address the ones already out there - even when we recognize the threat.

By a wide margin, EWG staffers said that the two top bad news stories of the year were President Obama's decision to kill the Environmental Protection Agency's latest effort to reduce the health threat from smog and the nuclear disaster that erupted in Japan when an unprecedented tsunami overwhelmed the defenses that were supposed to protect a complex of five reactors built at the very edge of the sea.

Trying not to get too depressed in the middle of holiday season, we'll go to the good news first.

Again by a wide margin, EWG staffers said the two top good news stories were the growing momentum to limit or ban BPA and (in the messy category), the emergence of evidence that the drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing really can be a threat to drinking water supplies. Drilling companies have insisted for years that fracking poses no threat to water supplies, but we've been skeptical, and so have many property owners in the states where drilling is intensifying. We're glad to see some hard facts on the table.

First, the Good

Here's the full rundown of the top good news stories as chosen by EWG's researchers and other staff:

1. BPA Feels the Heat
Two months after trend-setting California banned the endocrine-disrupting chemical BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups (as of 2013), the federal Food and Drug Administration agreed under the pressure of a law suit to decide whether to eliminate BPA in all food packaging. Meanwhile, the American Chemistry Council, a trade group that has fought fiercely against the California bill and other legislative curbs on BPA, appeared to throw in the towel, at least part way, as it petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to "clarify for consumers" that it no longer uses the chemical in children's food containers.

2. Truth Will Out: Fracking Has Tainted Ground Water
Giving the lie to gas drillers' long-standing insistence that hydraulic fracturing to release shale oil and gas has never contaminated drinking water supplies, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it had detected chemicals associated with fracking in groundwater in Wyoming. Earlier, EWG's own investigation uncovered a long-forgotten 1987 EPA report that found fracking-related contamination in water wells used by West Virginia residents. In the face of mounting public pressure, meanwhile, regulators decided to postpone action on rules that could open the door to widespread drilling and fracking in the vast Delaware River watershed.

3. New Reason for Caution on Cell Phone Radiation
In another case where bad news is seen as good news - because it indicates that important new information is coming to light - the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, for the first time listed radiation from cell phones as "possibly carcinogenic" to humans. The jury is still out on the possible health risks from these ubiquitous devices, but the decision was significant for those who live by the precautionary principle.

4. The Grand Canyon Gets Protection
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar took an important step toward protecting the chief water source for California and the Southwest when he extended for 20 years a ban on new uranium mining on 1 million acres around the Grand Canyon. EWG called attention to this looming danger in its report, Conflict at the Canyon.

5. Getting Rocket Fuel out of Water
Reversing a decision made during the administration of former President George W. Bush, the EPA said it will begin the process of setting legal limits on perchlorate, an ingredient in rocket fuel, and 16 other chemicals known as volatile organics that have contaminated water sources used by millions of Americans.

6. Blowing the Whistle on Sugar in Kids' Cereals
Bringing renewed attention to a problem that food makers have persistently refused to correct, a widely publicized EWG report pointed out that a number of heavily-marketed children's cereals contain unhealthy amounts of sugar, some of them more than popular desert items.

7. California Moves to Curb Chromium-6
California's state Environmental Protection Agency adopted a first-in-nation health-based standard (public health goal) for hexavalent chromium in drinking water, the initial step in establishing a legal limit in drinking water for this widely found carcinogen that gained public notoriety in the movie Erin Brockovich.

8. HHS Calls for Less Fluoride in Drinking Water
Citing potential health risks to children, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposed in January that utilities a, which EWG and other public health advocates had long recommended. Three days later, the EPA granted a petition by EWG and two other environmental groups to end the use of sulfuryl fluoride, an insecticide and food fumigant that is also a source of fluoride exposure.

9. Sunscreen Rules - Too Little, Too Late
After deliberating for 33 years, the FDA finally got around to proposing rules governing the content and labeling of sunscreen products, but in EWG's view, they fall far short of the mark.

10. Brazilian Blowout Declared Unsafe
The FDA warned the makers of "Brazilian Blowout" in September that the company's hair straightening product, which contains carcinogenic formaldehyde, is "adulterated" and "misbranded." Earlier in the year, EWG's investigation found that a total of 16 companies used high levels of the chemical as an ingredient in similar products.

Now for the top Bad News. Take a deep breath.

1. President Obama Kills Tighter Smog Limits
As summer was winding down, Obama shocked EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and the environmental community by blocking plans to impose stricter national standards on ozone-containing smog. It was the strongest indication yet that the administration was approaching major environmental decisions with a cold eye on the 2012 election.

2. Fukushima Melts Down
By itself, the Japanese tsunami was a horrendous, almost unimaginable event, one that reminds us that even the most highly developed nations can be left all but helpless when the full forces of nature get unleashed. But what happened at Fukushima had a more profound lesson: that technological hubris, self-serving bureaucracy, lack of transparency and a host of other human failings always have the capacity to take a bad situation - and make it worse. Unfortunately, Japan will be reminded of this lesson every day for decades to come.

3. A Deadly Year for Foodborne Illness
Cantaloupes and sprouts. Record-setting outbreaks of foodborne disease in the United States and Europe underscored once again that assuring food safety is a critical priority. The U.S. listeriosis outbreak, which came just months after Congress passed major new food safety legislation, was linked to cantaloupes grown in Colorado. It killed 29 land sickened at least 139. In Europe, an outbreak ultimately linked to sprouts unleashed an unusually deadly strain of E. coli, killing at least 18 and sickening about 2,000.

4. House Republicans Target EPA and Environmental Regulation
Propelled by the anti-regulatory fervor of the Tea Party and Republicans' desire to blame unemployment on Obama and "job killing" regulation, GOP members of Congress took aim at the EPA and environmental regulations of all types, even voting to block a non-existent rule on rural dust. The cost in lives, illness and economic loss from environmental degradation didn't enter into the discussion.

5. Still No Reform for Outdated Toxics Law
Thirty-five years and counting. That's how long it's been since Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act, the only one of the 70s era environmental reforms that has never been updated. In public, there seems to be consensus that it's high time to update a law that allows new chemicals on the market with no meaningful safety testing. But when it comes to actually working out a reform bill in the halls of Congress, that consensus evaporates.

6. Emissions Up, Action Down on Climate Change
Recently released data shows that in 2010, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels jumped by the largest amount of any year since the industrial revolution. But in the United States, parts of Europe and much of the rest of the world, the prospects for concerted international action to curb climate change seemed to be fading away. Que sera, sera?

7. Fracking Wastewater Reaches Rivers, Water Treatment Plans
Wastewater from the natural gas drilling boom, laden with chemical contaminants and sometimes radioactivity, passed through sewage treatment plants that weren't designed for it and ended up in rivers that supply drinking water to cities in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the battle over whether and how to allow fracking in New York State neared a climax.

8. Federal Judge Blocks S.F. Cell Phone Right-to-Know Ordinance
The EWG-led campaign to require cell phone retailers to post information about cell radiation emissions suffered a setback when a federal judge struck down most of an ordinance passed by the San Francisco City Council, but the battle isn't over. A revised ordinance passed in 2011, but it, too, is being challenged.

9. Ballyhooed Solar Panel Company Goes Belly Up
President Obama's effort to promote a "green economy" alternative to fossil fuels and to help revive the economy took a hit when Solyndra, a California manufacturer of solar panels, declared bankruptcy. Critics used the scandal to attack subsidies for alternative energy programs, but the fact is, petroleum and other fossil fuels have fattened up on federal subsidies for decades.

10. Contaminated Chinese Dry Wall
The online news organization Pro Publica brought national attention to the growing scandal over contaminated Chinese dry wall that emits foul odors, causes appliances to fail and mades people sick. Thousands of homeowners and renters were affected, and the scandal is still unfolding.

New for you this year: our Meat Eater's Guide to Climate and Health. What's the difference between cage-free and free-range? Grass-fed and pasture-raised? Our label decoder demystifies shopping - everyone needs one!

Back by popular demand -- holiday kitchen tips from Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research at Environmental Working Group:

1. Choose food low in added chemicals and pollutants
Food can contain ingredients we don't want to eat - pesticides, hormones, artificial additives and food packaging chemicals. Some simple tips to cut the chemicals:

• Buy organic when you can. Organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides (I prefer my dinner without, thanks!). Organic meat and dairy products limit your family's exposure to growth hormones and antibiotics.


• It's OK to choose non-organic from our "Clean 15" less-contaminated conventional fruits and vegetables, too. EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides ranks popular fruits and vegetables based on the amount of pesticide residues found on them. Get the iPhone App).


• Cook with fresh foods, not packaged and canned, whenever you can. Food containers can leach packaging chemicals into food. I like to check in with EWG's Healthy Home Tips when planning grocery trips.


• Eat healthier meat. When shopping, look for:
  - Grass-fed or pasture-raised
  - Lean cuts
  - No antibiotics or hormones
  - Certified organic
  - Certified humane
  - Local
  - Unprocessed, nitrate-free and low sodium
  - Want to know more? Check our report

2. Use non-toxic cookware
Using a great pan makes a huge difference. I skip the non-stick so that my kids, pets and I don't breathe toxic fumes from overheated non-stick pans.

• For safer cooking, EWG suggests cast iron, stainless steel and oven-safe glass. Yes, there are many new products on the market, but most companies won't tell you exactly what they are. They don't have to release their safety data to the public.


• If you're in the m for a new cast iron pan, purchase it through Amazon and a portion of your purchase total will go to EWG!


• Cook safer with non-stick if you're stuck with it. Never heat an empty pan, especially at high heat, don't put non-stick baking pans in an oven hotter than 500 degrees F, and use your stove's exhaust fan.


• Learn more about cooking safely in our Healthy Home Tip: Skip the non-stick.

3. Store and reheat leftovers safely
Leftovers can extend the joy of a holiday -- by giving you a break from the kitchen! But be sure to avoid plastic when storing and (especially) when heating them. Here's why -- and how:

• The chemical additives in plastic can migrate into food and liquids. Ceramic or glass food containers (like Pyrex) are safer. Click here to get a 10-piece Pyrex set on Amazon (and a portion of your purchase will go towards helping EWG!).


• Don't microwave food or drinks in plastic containers, even if they claim to be "microwave safe." Heat can release chemicals into your food and drink. Microwaves heat unevenly, creating hot spots where the plastic is more likely to break down.


• If you do use a plastic container, handle it carefully. Use it for cool liquids only; wash plastics on the top rack of the dishwasher, farther from the heating element (or by hand!); Cover food in the microwave with a paper towel, not plastic wrap. Also, avoid single-use plastic like bottled water bottles. Reusing it isn't safe -- it can harbor bacteria, and tossing it fills up landfills and pollutes the environment.


• Read more about heating and storing food safely in EWG's Healthy Home Tip: Pick plastics carefully.

We wish you and yours a very happy holiday season. Happy Holidays!

P.S. Take a look at EWG's recommended reading list from the year - great gift ideas for others - and, of course, yourself.

Nearly 40 Marine veterans diagnosed with male breast cancer today urged President Obama to support legislation in Congress that would provide health care for those made ill by carcinogenic chemicals that contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

"We, the undersigned, are constituents of the largest male breast cancer cluster ever identified - 73 men," begins a letter circulated by the Environmental Working Group on December 14, 2011 and signed by veterans, their dependent children and surviving family members. "What happened to us is no coincidence."

Over a period of 30 years, an estimated one million servicemen and women, their families and civilian workers at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune were exposed to tap water polluted by known carcinogens. These include trichloroethylene (TCE), vinyl chloride and benzene - all classified as known human carcinogens by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.

It took too long to act
The Marine Corps leadership was aware of the contamination years before steps were taken to remove the chemicals from the drinking water. Thousands of veterans from the base have filed for disability compensation with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but only a handful have been approved for benefits so far. Mike Partain, a son and grandson of Marine officers who was born at Camp Lejeune and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, poses important questions:

"These men are just one small group of the tens of thousands of Marines, sailors, their families and base employees who have been affected by their exposures to the fouled drinking water. Will the medical help we need arrive only after we have all passed away? How many men with breast cancer will it take for our country to recognize that everyone exposed to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune was poisoned? Where is this nation's honor for our veterans and their families?"

Help may be on the way
Two pending bills - the Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2011, introduced by Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), and the Janey Ensminger Act, introduced by Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.) - would provide medical care and services to the affected veterans and family members. Both have bipartisan support. And EWG's support.

The Camp Lejeune incident, the largest documented case of drinking water contamination at a domestic military facility, is the subject of the award-winning film Semper Fi: Always Faithful. The film, which takes its name from the Marine Corps motto, was recently short-listed for an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

Watch the trailer here:

Semper Fi: Always Faithful Trailer from Rachel Libert on Vimeo.

Want to see it yourself? Find a screening near you.

Of course you don't serve your kids Twinkies or Chips Ahoy! cookies for breakfast. But many of us are serving our kids just as much - or more - sugar every day in the good ol' American cereal bowl (see how bad it really is in our new report, Sugar in Children's Cereals). And even as they're busily adding sugar to their products, cereal makers are in Washington, lobbying hard to block proposed federal voluntary guidelines that would limit marketing of their cereals to kids.

We think the guidelines don't go far enough (they propose a voluntary cap of 26 percent sugar in cereals, while we prefer a mandatory 15 percent limit), but if these companies get their way (which they seem to do rather often), these ridiculously sugary cereals (10 worst listed here) will keep their kids'-eye-level place on your grocery store shelves.

They just don't belong there.

All you have to do is take a look at the growing list of news stories, cable TV shows, blogs and terrific images about our sugary cereals report (see some of our favorites below) to grasp that people are reacting to this information.

Why is this news?

As one EWG Facebook commenter - and many friends - asked, "Is this actually a surprise to anyone?"

To which we say: yes and no:

• Yes, to people who assume that if it's on the shelf and marketed to kids, surely someone out there must have made sure it's not - at the very least - outrageously unhealthy (they'd be wrong, of course).
• Yes, to people who pay no attention to nutrition labels.
• Yes, to people who grew up eating these cereals and still draw on that experience.
• Yes, to people who shop at grocery stores that don't offer healthier options.
• Yes, to people who give in to their kids' whining and look the other way.
• Yes, to people who think it can't be that bad.
• Yes, to people who assume that the front-of-the-box marketing claims (Vitamin A! Vitamin C!) are closely regulated.
• Yes, to people whose kids see the TV ads - far too often.
• Yes, to people who are short on time.
• Yes, to people who believe what they read on the Froot Loops web site, where the URL makes the intent quite clear: http://www.frootloops.com/healthymessage/index.html.

But we also say no:

• No, to those of us who are label readers.
• No, to us Grape Nuts and Amaranth Flakes types.
• No, to people who understand the link between sugar consumption and childhood obesity and Type II diabetes.
• No, to health-conscious parents.
• No, to folks who know to shop around for lower-sugar breakfast options.
• No, to people who say no to cold cereal in the morning altogether.

But we'd wager that the yeses outweigh the nos.

Something bigger going on here

Beyond the simple facts here - that kids' cereals are loaded with ludicrous amounts of sugar and the companies want to keep it that way because they sell so very well - there's something far bigger going on. This solid information (which EWG compiled from cereal makers themselves), and the humorous images of cookie-filled bowls that go with it, reflect the sordid food system that we've allowed to thrive while our bad health gets worse.

So while we do suggest that you not eat these desserts cereals, which some call "food" and our government lamely allows, we hope it's obvious that many of us want something completely different. For now, some big, rich companies and their lobbyists are standing in the way - and the time has come for them to STEP ASIDE and let the eaters prevail. We're not going to take it anymore. And we get the feeling that you're not, either.

It's Time: Stand up for your food rights

It may be old news to many (especially EWG fans!) that there's a whole lot of sugar in kids' cereals, but the intense coverage and reaction to our report speaks volumes, doesn't it? It tells us loud and clear that the food movement's moment has arrived. Let's take advantage of it. You can start right now by signing EWG's petition to turn the farm bill (it's up for renewal in 2012) into a healthy food bill.

What we want isn't that complicated. We want REAL food, not manufactured "food." Period.

Here's some of the great coverage of our sugary cereals report:

• CNN
• EcoCentric
• The Food Network
• Huffington Post
• Los Angeles Times
• Yahoo Shine!

If there's one thing we at Environmental Working Group love, it's a good book - especially about the issues we work on. Honestly, there are so many good ones.

So when I started putting together my holiday shopping lists, I asked my coworkers for their recommendations. As I expected, the books they've been reading this year are as amazing as they are - I couldn't wait to share them with you.

Plus, if you shop for great books through our special Amazon links (below), your purchase will do some good because you'll be supporting EWG at the same time - no matter what you purchase.

Whether you're shopping for someone trying to live greener, an aspiring chef or a new parent, we've got you covered. I hope you find these suggestions as interesting and inspiring as I did.

Cookbooks:

Ken loves cooking from Sheryl Crow's If It Makes You Healthy: More Than 100 Delicious Recipes Inspired by the Seasons.

Director of Technology Chuq Yang makes dinner almost nightly from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food.

Other favorites from our office chefs? Myra Goodman's The Earthbound Cook: 250 Recipes for Delicious Food and a Healthy Planet and Laurie David's The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time.

Green living:

When our Social Media Manager Lisa Frack is getting ready for a special occasion, she turns to Corey Colwell-Lipson's Celebrate Green for fun and sustainable ideas.

With the love of good food and a good story in mind, Chief of Staff Heather White recommends Thomas McNamee's Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, the biography of Alice Waters.

Ken enjoyed reading Dr. Andrew Weil's latest, Spontaneous Happiness.

As EWG's Senior Vice President of Research and director of our Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, I recommend Stacy Malkan's Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry for anyone who wants to know more about the safe cosmetics movement.

Director of our California office and a Senior Scientist, Renee Sharp can't get enough of the science behind Elizabeth Grossman's Chasing Molecules: Poisonous Products, Human Health, and the Promise of Green Chemistry.

Editor-in-chief Elaine Shannon found Carol Deppe's The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times to be a fascinating read by an expert gardener and scientist.

As a mom trying to raise her kids sustainably, Foundation Coordinator Nicole Oliver turns to Peggy O'Mara's Natural Family Living: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Parenting.

Healthy eating and food policy:

For an eye-opening look at the food industry and the healthy eating movement, Ken always recommends Marion Nestle's Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health.

Vice President for Media Relations Alex Formuzis loves Michael Pollan's newly illustrated Food Rules: An Eater's Manual.

Alan Bjerga's Endless Appetites: How the Commodities Casino Creates Hunger and Unrest got glowing reviews from both Press Secretary Sara Sciammacco and Senior Communications and Policy Advisor Don Carr.

Senior Food and Agriculture Analyst Kari Hamerschlag couldn't put down Oran Hesterman's Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System For All.

Senior Scientist David Andrews discovered why there was so much media attention when he read Sarah Wu's Fed Up with Lunch: The School Lunch Project: How One Anonymous Teacher Revealed the Truth About School Lunches - And How We Can Change Them!

Legal Fellow Etan Yeshua - a true tomato lover - recommends Barry Estabrook's Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit.

With so much media attention on childhood nutrition, Director of Development Jocelyn Lyle picked up Susan Levine's School Lunch Politics: The Surprising History of America's Favorite Welfare Program.

With all these ideas, your holiday shopping is practically done! And don't forget to grab a good read for yourself - which topic are you ready to learn more about?

[Thanks to flickr and jimmiehomeschoolmom for the great holiday gifts pic]

By Swati Sharma, MS, EWG Research Assistant

"Natural" and homemade cosmetics and cleaning products aren't by definition safer than mainstream products. EWG takes a closer look at two common plant-based ingredients - tea tree and lavender oils - and finds that the science is still evolving and safety can't be assumed.

Earlier this week, we took a close look at tea tree oil - its uses, and some potential health concerns we should all keep in mind as the popularity of this natural ingredient skyrockets in both store-bought and homemade cosmetics and cleaning supplies. Today, we examine lavender oil and provide some suggested precautions when using either of these oils or products that contain them.

Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is widely used in consumer products as a fragrance (all that lavender soap!). In fact, it is the third most commonly used fragrance in U.S. cosmetic products. Lavender is also frequently used to relieve pain and anxiety and as an antiseptic, due to its antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Despite its ubiquity in cosmetics, researchers in Japan who compared eight essential oils found that lavender caused the greatest number of skin allergies. Several other studies have also linked allergic reactions to lavender oil. Linalool and linalyl acetate, major components of lavender oil, were found to react with oxygen in the air, forming allergens that can cause contact dermatitis. Furthermore, tests have found that lavender may be toxic to human skin cells. All this is to say that the soothing scent of lavender in your soap or lotion may not be welcome if you happen to be allergic to this naturally derived compound!

Do these oils disrupt hormones? We don't know.
An intensely debated study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 suggested that topical use of tea tree and lavender oil could possibly disrupt sex hormones in people, causing estrogenic and anti-androgenic effects. The study was a case report of three boys who had abnormal breast development after applying products containing lavender oil, and in one case, tea tree oil. When the boys stopped using the products, their breast development subsided. The researchers concluded that, "The medical community should be aware of the possibility of endocrine disruption and should caution patients about repeated exposure to any products containing these oils."

Drawing a definitive conclusion on the basis of any one case study with such a small number of patients is notoriously difficult. Further, the study did not provide specific product names or full lists of ingredients, so the influence of other chemicals can't be ruled out. While the study provoked intense curiosity and discussion, no additional case reports have surfaced to corroborate its findings. The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP), evaluating tea tree oil found the connection "implausible," saying that the hormonally active components of tea tree oil don't penetrate the skin. We've got our eyes peeled for any studies that support or refute this potential health concern.

In the meantime, here are some tips for today:

Take-home tips on tea tree and lavender oil
• "Natural" does not necessarily mean safe: High doses of some naturally occurring compounds can be toxic.
• Given the evolving state of the science, EWG does not suggest that you stop using tea tree and lavender oil. However, it's definitely a good idea to try a new product on a small area of skin first to see if you're allergic is - and go easy on intensive, full-body applications.
• We do suggest you limit use of products containing tea tree or lavender oil that are old or have been exposed to light, since air and sunlight break down ingredients in these oils over time, producing more potent allergens.
• Spray cleaners, air fresheners and spray cosmetics expose the user and people nearby to lavender and tea tree oil via inhalation. With little or no data on the health effects of inhaling these compounds, such products should be used in well-ventilated areas and kept away from children.

Parting advice: Whether you're making your own products or heading for those advertised as green and "natural," make informed choices. Picking products based on front-label ad claims or natural-sounding names doesn't guarantee you a safe product. Know what you're buying. It's safer that way.

[A big thanks to flickr CC and jaybergesen for the beautiful lavender field pic.]

"Natural" and homemade cosmetics and cleaning products aren't by definition safer than mainstream products. EWG takes a closer look at two common plant-based ingredients - tea tree and lavender oils - and finds that the science is still evolving and safety can't be assumed. First of a two-part blog on health concerns tied to natural ingredients.

You've no doubt seen buzzwords like these splashed across cosmetics and cleaning supply labels, but what exactly do they mean?

Truth is, customers tend to trust these front-of-the-package claims and often don't know that some household cleaners and common cosmetics contain chemicals tied to health problems such as asthma, allergies, hormone disruption and even cancer. Other consumers are more aware of the potential health effects of toxic ingredients and are actively looking for apparently safer products, while still others are taking it a step further and making their own cosmetics and cleaning supplies - with ingredients they buy individually - so they can be sure that what's in them is safe.

Examine Natural Products, Too
While these alternatives may seem better - and even offer a sense of control in the face of misleading advertising claims and confusing and toxic ingredients - it's still important to ask: Is a homemade or naturally-derived product necessarily safer? Maybe, maybe not, is the unsatisfying answer. Unfortunately, safety standards are nearly non-existent when it comes to ingredients in cleaning supplies and cosmetics, including natural ones.

Take tea tree and lavender oils, for example. They are two natural ingredients common in both cosmetics and cleaning agents. When I took a close look at the ones I have at home, nearly half contained one or the other. Both compounds have many uses and benefits, but researchers have raised concerns about potential health effects from excessive exposure to each. We'll explore tea tree oil here - stay tuned for our follow up blog post on lavender oil tomorrow.

Here's what we know:

Tea Tree Oil
Over the past several years, use of tea tree oil has been on the rise, spurred by scientific studies showing that the compound can kill microbes such as flu viruses, E. coli and antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, mold, mildew and other types of fungus.

However, just as for synthetic antibacterials, overuse of naturally derived antibacterial compounds can eventually render them ineffective. Numerous studies all over the world show that using antibacterial soap at home is no more effective at eliminating germs or preventing the spread of infection than ordinary soap, but it has a real potential downside: breeding resistant bacteria. Bacteria adapt readily to changing environments and can easily evolve into new strains that no longer respond to antibiotics or other antibacterials when they are overused.

So what about tea tree oil? A study published by Irish scientists in 2007 found that bacteria exposed to tea tree oil became resistant to it. Even more worrisome, they also became more resistant to conventional antibiotics. Researchers concluded that while tea tree oil is indeed an effective antibacterial agent, low-level, sustained application "may contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens" - a significant and growing medical concern.

Tea tree oil is often used in aromatherapy and massage therapy, where it is inhaled or applied directly to the skin. A recent study of air quality in spas in China found that tea tree oil generated the highest levels of an important class of indoor air contaminants (secondary organic aerosols) compared to other essential oils. Should a day at the spa automatically come with an extra dose of air pollution? And how might these air contaminants affect spa workers exposed daily?

Applying tea tree oil in massage oils and lotions raises concerns about skin allergies. Several studies show that it can cause skin irritation and allergies (often referred to as contact dermatitis or skin sensitization). In a 2008 report, the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) concluded that tea tree oil could induce both skin and eye allergies. Another study found 41 dermatitis cases out of 2,320 people tested and linked 41 percent of them to tea tree oil. The European Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association (COLIPA) recommends that products with this ingredient be formulated with extreme care:

"Tea Tree Oil should not be used in cosmetic products in a way that results in a concentration greater than 1% oil being applied to the body. When formulating Tea Tree Oil in a cosmetic product, companies should consider that the sensitization potential increases if certain constituents of the oil become oxidized. To reduce the formation of these oxidation products, manufacturers should consider the use of antioxidants and/or specific packaging to minimize exposure to light."

Based on this research, EWG does not suggest avoiding all products containing tea tree oil, but it is wise to respect this potent compound and use it with caution - and with all the information you can get.

Watch for the second part of EWG's two-part blog for information on lavender oil and take-home tips for both oils.

[A big thanks to flickr CC and jaybergesen for the beautiful lavender field pic.]

Did you know that your cosmetics could harm your health? Your makeup is probably laden with dangerous chemical ingredients that could potentially cause long-term damage.

Are you having trouble getting rid of old cosmetics you don't use anymore? Do you find yourself buying the same unhealthy products every time you go to the store? Here are some tips to help you start buying safer and healthier products:

1. Rid your bathroom and makeup bag of the products you don't use. Make sure you recycle packaging!
2. Evaluate all of your cosmetics on the Skin Deep database. Check the scores on your products then learn about the different ingredients and the dangerous effects they may have on your health.
3. Take the information you learned from Skin Deep into consideration when buying new products. Read labels and ingredient lists on products you find in the store.
4. Instead of buying cheap products to save money, try buying fewer products that are safer and have a low score on Skin Deep. The fewer products you use, the lower your exposure to chemicals and contaminants.
5. Don't trust all products that say they are natural or organic. Always check with Skin Deep!
6. Donate to Skin Deep and get our free Quick Tips to Safer Cosmetics wallet guide to use on-the-go while shopping.
7. Spread the word to your friends and family, and join the conversation about safe cosmetics on Facebook.

Hey teens! We know you probably wear make-up and use cosmetics everyday, but do you have any idea what's inside these products? Many personal care products may include dangerous chemicals that can build-up inside your body and pose risks to your health.

Here's a video about this issue just for you - made by teens, for other teens. Just take a look and think about evaluating your products for safety. Just think about it!

We're not asking you to throw out all of your make-up. But once you've watched this video, the shocking facts you'll learn may change your opinion on the safety of your cosmetics. The truth behind the beauty industry is definitely not pretty.

After you watch the video, check out EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database and get to work learning about your make-up and personal care products. Then spread the word!

This Monday, the governors of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware and representatives of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers will meet and vote on whether to allow gas drilling and exploration in this sensitive area.

Josh Fox, director of GASLAND and Delaware River Basin property owner calls the situation a crisis, and we couldn't agree more.

Please take a moment and help save the Delaware:

Live in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Delaware?
Contact your governor and tell him you oppose any regulations that would allow gas drilling in the basin.

Want to learn more?

We parents give a lot of orders.

"Put your pajamas away. Clear the table, please. Don't pull the cat's tail!"

But in her new book, Raising Elijah: Protecting Our Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis, it's Sandra Steingraber who gives the orders - to us parents. But she has just one, albeit a big one: Save the planet - for your kids' sake.

Oh, OK, Sandra, I'll cross that one off my "to do" list next week! But seriously, she believes that we parents are the only ones who can and will do what it takes to turn things around for ol' Mother Earth - like fight for clean air, safe drinking water, and non-toxic consumer products - because our kids' health depends on it. Plus, becoming a parent often creates an environmentalist, so there are a lot of us.

But just because she thinks we're the answer doesn't mean she takes her orders lightly. She understands the dilemma of modern-day parents well (she's a working mom with two kids under 10, after all, and travels frequently to boot). She understands that some of us are just plain too overwhelmed with our 5 million other parental duties to, say, reverse climate change (even for our kids), and others of us are so well informed about the sorry state of the environment that we suffer from something she aptly calls "well-informed futility."

Just like it sounds, well-informed futility is basically the feeling that there are so many big, complex issues to solve - over which we feel precious little control - that we run from them all because anything we might do would be futile. Sound familiar? Steingraber herself says it best: "I am a conscientious parent. I am not a HEPA filter." Nor should we be. Nor, sadly, can we be. It's just bigger than any one of us. But not bigger, Steingraber posits, than all of us. And I agree.

If we took all the energy we spend on navigating our world to protect our children (like, say, avoiding BPA, PVC and pesticides, seeking out toys and food that are healthy and safe) and redirected that energy toward overhauling ineffective environmental protections, we could get somewhere. As Sandra sees it, our hyperactive efforts to prevent harm at home are akin to building a fallout shelter instead of pursuing disarmament. And make no mistake: She believes we need disarmament.

That said, Steingraber does offer up some "fallout shelter" steps for us personal action types, not just to appease us and certainly not to distract us. To the contrary, she suggests that some personal greening actions are in fact "symbolic starting points for heroism." Say what? Think gateway drug: you start with one of these little ideas, and before you know it, you're marching on Congress - or at least calling them - preferably in droves. Here are her top three steps to get you started on the path to environmental heroism:

1. Plant a garden.
2. Mow grass without the assistance of fossil fuels.
3. Replace the clothes dryer with a drying rack or clothesline.

Why these, you ask? Either you've "been there, done that" or it's just too hard; or you can't quite fathom why a woman calling on parents to singlehandedly save the Earth settled on these three relatively minor actions (compared to, say, selling the car and walking everywhere - with two kids and your groceries!). Sandra's solid reasoning shows how she thinks; she writes:

The acquisition of new personal habits and new skills can change our thinking. It compels us to ask new questions. They are daily reminders that we urgently need new choices within new systems. They are harbingers. They signal our eagerness to embrace much bigger changes. They bear witness to our children that we are willing to exert energy, that we are not cynical, that we respect the right to inherit a habitable planet.

Her call to action may feel overwhelming and burdensome (aren't we pretty busy raising the next generation, after all?). But Steingraber knows that, and she encourages us to shrug it off, as heroes would - and she has me convinced:

Okay, so you're all laughing anyway - half of you because, given how far down the road of climate change we are already, you find these gestures pathetic and inconsequential, and the other half because, given how far down the road of frantic exhaustion working parents are, you find these gestures unrealistic and excessive. But it's in the nature of heroes to shrug off snickering. Keep reading.

Here are some things you can do with Raising Elijah - soon:

• Buy the book.
  
• Read it.
  
• Give it to a fellow parent when you're done.
  
• Share it on social media (your "friends" will thank you!).
  
• Choose it for your book group.