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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.

 

Toxic Free Maryland

Maryland families and children are growing up surrounded by chemicals that put our health at risk. Maryland PIRG Foundation is working to raise awareness of toxic threats and push for stronger protections for family's health.


Democracy for the People

Democracy works best when we all particpate. Through our Democracy Program, Maryland PIRG Foundation works to address the corrosive role of large and corporate donors on or electoral process and works to increase civic engagment through voter registration and voter education. 


Don't Trash Maryland

Maryland PIRG Foundation is supporting solutions to our waste problem to move towards a society where less is consumed, all products are built to last and are easy to reuse and repair, and all materials are reused, recycled and composted in a continuous cycle.

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 Connect to 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.

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

Blog Post

UPDATE: How to Vote in Maryland's July Primary Elections | Emily Scarr

> Keep Reading
News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Tips

Statement: Safe Sleep for Babies Act signed into law

After decades of danger and more than 200 infant deaths, President Joe Biden signed the  Safe Sleep for Babies Act into law on Monday.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Democracy

How to Vote in the 2022 Maryland Primary Elections | Emily Scarr

 

As Maryland goes through the redistricting process, there have been a few changes in terms of dates, deadlines, and districts for the upcoming Maryland primary this summer. This post will walk through what you need to do to register to vote and submit your ballot in the primaries.

> Keep Reading
News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC

Consumer advocacy groups launch campaign to get Columbia Sportswear to phase out toxic ‘forever chemicals’

 

U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) launched a campaign on Tuesday calling on outdoor gear and apparel brand Columbia Sportswear to phase out the use of PFAS in its products and supply chains. Last month, the company received low marks in a scorecard report released by the advocacy groups. The report found that Columbia Sportswear has failed to adopt policies that ban PFAS chemicals or provide up-to-date, publicly available information on any ongoing efforts to phase out these toxic chemicals from their products.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post

Campaign for Columbia Sportswear Commitment to Eliminate PFAS Launched Today | Emily Rogers

Today U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC launched a campaign to urge Columbia Sportswear to eliminate toxic PFAS in their products and supply chain by 2024. The campaign will engage everyday consumers through a petition drive and mobilize the public impacted by PFAS contamination.

> Keep Reading

Pages

News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Tips

Statement: Safe Sleep for Babies Act signed into law

After decades of danger and more than 200 infant deaths, President Joe Biden signed the  Safe Sleep for Babies Act into law on Monday.

> Keep Reading
News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC

Consumer advocacy groups launch campaign to get Columbia Sportswear to phase out toxic ‘forever chemicals’

 

U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) launched a campaign on Tuesday calling on outdoor gear and apparel brand Columbia Sportswear to phase out the use of PFAS in its products and supply chains. Last month, the company received low marks in a scorecard report released by the advocacy groups. The report found that Columbia Sportswear has failed to adopt policies that ban PFAS chemicals or provide up-to-date, publicly available information on any ongoing efforts to phase out these toxic chemicals from their products.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Environment Maryland Research & Policy Center

Baltimore falls behind peers in solar power ranking report

Baltimore lagged behind other major U.S. cities in solar power installations over the last two years according to the eighth edition of Environment Maryland Research & Policy Center’s report Shining Cities: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy.

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News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund & Environment America Research and Policy Center

Interactive map shows widespread lead contamination in schools drinking water

Lead contamination of school drinking water is more pervasive than previously thought, according to testing data from across the nation published on Thursday by Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund on a new interactive map. The groups urged public officials to take swift action to “get the lead out” of schools’ drinking water.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation, NRDC, Fashion FWD | Public Health

New scorecard grades popular apparel brands on commitments to avoiding PFAS

Maryland PIRG Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (NRDC) and Fashion FWD released a scorecard on Wednesday ranking popular retail and apparel brands on policy commitments to eliminate a dangerous class of toxic “forever chemicals,” known as PFAS, from their products.

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Pages

Result | Public Health

Victory: Macy's commits to phase out toxic flame retardents

We did it: Macy's announced it will stop selling furniture that contains toxic flame retardants.

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Result | Public Health

Victory: Subway Announces Plan to Go Antibiotic Free

We're ecstatic that Subway will be living up to the healthy image they've created. They have more restaurants in the U.S. than any other chain, and their announcement will put major market pressure on the meat producers to stop overusing antibiotics.

> Keep Reading
Result | Safe Energy

Commission Renews and Expands Commitment to EmPOWER Maryland

The Maryland Public Service Commission has ordered a series of measures that will expand and refocus—and ultimately improve—programs designed to meet the goals of the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act of 2008.

> Keep Reading
Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund, NRDC and Fashion FWD

Going Out of Fashion

PFAS use in apparel and other consumer products is coming under increased scrutiny from lawmakers. However, apparel manufacturers and retail stores don’t need to wait for the law to catch up to the proliferation of toxic PFAS. They can get out in front of the regulatory curve and protect their customers and the planet from PFAS pollution by immediately adopting policies to end the use of PFAS in clothing, footwear, and accessories. Indeed, some already have. 

> Keep Reading
Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Tips

Dark Patterns: A step-by-step guide to protect your privacy on your phone

Apps and social media are a part of everyday life. They help us stay connected to the world around us. But it can be easy to overlook the risk involved with making personal information accessible online, especially when that information can be recorded, bought and sold by the companies running the apps.

> Keep Reading
Report | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection

Why Farmers Need Right to Repair

Modern farm equipment, like so many other products in our lives, runs on software. While the new technology has helped farmers increase productivity, it has also allowed manufacturers to lock down the repair process.

> Keep Reading
Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Food

Food recalls: 2021 Trends and What They Mean for You

There were 270 food and beverage recalls in 2021 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That marked a 27 percent decrease from 2020. But fewer recalls doesn’t necessarily mean safer food. 

> Keep Reading
Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund

Product Recalls: Often Too Little Too Late

2021 reminds us the system is broken. Federal laws favor corporations, not consumers, and it can take months or years for the public to be warned about dangerous products.

> Keep Reading

Pages

Blog Post

UPDATE: How to Vote in Maryland's July Primary Elections | Emily Scarr

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Democracy

How to Vote in the 2022 Maryland Primary Elections | Emily Scarr

 

As Maryland goes through the redistricting process, there have been a few changes in terms of dates, deadlines, and districts for the upcoming Maryland primary this summer. This post will walk through what you need to do to register to vote and submit your ballot in the primaries.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post

Campaign for Columbia Sportswear Commitment to Eliminate PFAS Launched Today | Emily Rogers

Today U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC launched a campaign to urge Columbia Sportswear to eliminate toxic PFAS in their products and supply chain by 2024. The campaign will engage everyday consumers through a petition drive and mobilize the public impacted by PFAS contamination.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Tips

How to save money at the grocery store, despite food price inflation | Danielle Melgar

Here’s what you can do to ensure that rising food prices don’t break your bank.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

CFPB receives over 2,500 junk fee comments | Ed Mierzwinski

In response to a tidal wave of unfair marketplace practices, the CFPB asked the public to submit comments on the impact of junk fees on their lives. Some 2,500 comments later, consumers have described the pain points caused by unfair junk fees.

Cover graphic courtesy Student Borrower Protection Center, used by permission

> Keep Reading

Pages

Blog Post

UPDATE: How to Vote in Maryland's July Primary Elections

News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund

Statement: Safe Sleep for Babies Act signed into law

After decades of danger and more than 200 infant deaths, President Joe Biden signed the  Safe Sleep for Babies Act into law on Monday.

Blog Post

How to Vote in the 2022 Maryland Primary Elections

 

As Maryland goes through the redistricting process, there have been a few changes in terms of dates, deadlines, and districts for the upcoming Maryland primary this summer. This post will walk through what you need to do to register to vote and submit your ballot in the primaries.

News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC

Consumer advocacy groups launch campaign to get Columbia Sportswear to phase out toxic ‘forever chemicals’

 

U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) launched a campaign on Tuesday calling on outdoor gear and apparel brand Columbia Sportswear to phase out the use of PFAS in its products and supply chains. Last month, the company received low marks in a scorecard report released by the advocacy groups. The report found that Columbia Sportswear has failed to adopt policies that ban PFAS chemicals or provide up-to-date, publicly available information on any ongoing efforts to phase out these toxic chemicals from their products.

Blog Post

Campaign for Columbia Sportswear Commitment to Eliminate PFAS Launched Today

Today U.S. PIRG Education Fund and NRDC launched a campaign to urge Columbia Sportswear to eliminate toxic PFAS in their products and supply chain by 2024. The campaign will engage everyday consumers through a petition drive and mobilize the public impacted by PFAS contamination.

Solid Waste

PIRG hosts webinar with MythBusters' Adam Savage on Right to Repair

Our national network and the Right to Repair team organized a summit featuring keynote speaker Adam Savage from MythBusters. He shared his thoughts with us on the movement and we discussed our current progress on the Right to Repair campaign.

 

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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. 

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Maryland PIRG Foundation is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to social change.