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FIGHTING FOR THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING—Maryland PIRG Foundation stands up for consumers and works to stop threats to our health and safety.
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH & EDUCATION
Maryland PIRG Foundation is an independent, non-partisan group that works for consumers and the public interest. Through research, public education and outreach, we serve as counterweights to the influence of powerful special interests that threaten our health, safety or well-being.
OUR TOP PRIORITIES
Using the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposés, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation, Maryland PIRG Foundation stands up to powerful interests and delivers concrete results.
Don't Trash Maryland
Maryland throws away 3 billion recyclable beverage containers a year, which means needless litter, landfilling, and incineration. It is bad for the environment and public health
FIGHTING FOR A TOXIC-FREE FUTURE
American children are growing up surrounded by chemicals that put their health at risk. Maryland PIRG Foundation is working to raise awareness of toxic threats and push for stronger protections for children’s health.
LABEL GMO FOODS
It's our right to make healthy, informed, and responsible food choices. We deserve to know whether our food contains genetically modified ingredients.
With public debate around important issues often dominated by special interests pursuing their own narrow agendas, Maryland PIRG Foundation offers an independent voice that works on behalf of the public interest. Maryland PIRG Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, works to protect consumers and promote good government. We investigate problems, craft solutions, educate the public, and offer Marylanders meaningful opportunities for civic participation.
HOW TO CONTACT US
For information about a specific report, please contact the author. If you are a foundation interested in supporting Maryland PIRG Foundation’s work, or if you have general inquiries, please contact us here:
Maryland PIRG Foundation
3121 St. Paul St., Suite 26
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 467-9389
Maryland PIRG Foundation is an independent, state-based, citizen-funded organization that educates for the public interest and is a member of U.S. PIRG Education Fund.
Since 1970, state PIRGs have delivered results-oriented citizen activism, stood up to powerful special interests, and used the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposés, grassroots organizing, and litigation to win real results on issues that matter.
Across the country, state PIRGs employ close to 400 organizers, policy analysts, scientists and attorneys, and are active in 47 states, with a federal office in Washington, D.C. On national issues that impact Marylanders, we also coordinate our efforts, pool resources, and share expertise so that we can have the biggest impact — here in Maryland and for the country at large.
Maryland PIRG Foundation Staff
Maryland PIRG Foundation is an independent voice that works on behalf of the public interest. We investigate problems, craft solutions, educate the public, and offer meaningful opportunities for civic participation. Maryland PIRG Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization working to protect consumers and promote good government. Find out more about our staff
What's New
The amount of money Americans owe on their cars is now at an all-time high -- up 75 percent since the end of 2009. Americans’ rising indebtedness for cars raises concerns about the financial future of millions of households as lenders extend credit to more and more Americans without the ability to repay, according to a new Maryland PIRG report[1] .
In much of America, access to a car is all but required to hold a job or lead a full and vibrant life. Generations of car-centric transportation policies — including lavish spending on roads, sprawl-inducing land use policies and meager support for other modes of transportation — have left millions of Americans fully dependent on cars for daily living.
Baltimore: From E. coli-infected romaine lettuce to Salmonella-tainted beef, contaminated foods lead to illnesses that sicken as many as 1 in 6 Americans annually. In 2018, this epidemic helped spur major recalls, which caused stores and restaurants to toss millions of pounds of meat and produce. Maryland PIRG Foundation’s new report How Safe is Our Food?, released today, reveals how fundamental flaws in our current food safety system have led to a jump in these recalls since 2013.
While our food safety system has improved significantly over the last 100 years, when toxics, fake foodstuffs and bacteria regularly infiltrated the supply, it is clear there is more work to do. A modern society relies on ensuring that the daily act of eating does not undermine the health of the population.
While we are glad that Fiat Chrysler is paying something for damaging the health of Americans and deceiving customers, this settlement does not go far enough. It neither ensures these violations of the public trust won’t happen again nor makes consumers whole.
Support us
Your tax-deductible donation supports Maryland PIRG Foundation's work to educate consumers on the issues that matter, especially when powerful interests are blocking progress.
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You can also support Maryland PIRG Foundation’s work through bequests, contributions from life insurance or retirement plans, securities contributions and vehicle donations.