Reports

Trouble In Toyland: The 25th Annual Survey of Toy Safety

The 2010 Trouble in Toyland report is the 25th annual Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) survey of toy safety. In this report, U.S. PIRG provides safety guidelines for consumers when purchasing toys for small children and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards.

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Report | COPIRG | Consumer Protection

Unacceptable Risk: Two Decades of “Close Calls,” Leaks and Other Problems at U.S. Nuclear Reactors

This report analyzes the unacceptable risks of nuclear power to people and the environment, and demonstrates why the United States must move away from nuclear power and toward safer alternatives. The report concludes with recommendations to the Obama Administration for addressing the risks posed by nuclear power, including instituting a moratorium on the relicensing of existing, aging nuclear power plants and on the licensing of new nuclear reactors. This report also calls for the elimination of federal loan guarantees and other subsidies for nuclear power plants.

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Report | COPIRG | Consumer Protection

Growing Up Toxic: Chemical Exposures and Increases in Developmental Disease

A growing body of scientific evidence shows that the widespread use of chemicals in our society harms our health and the health of our children. The incidence of many serious health problems – including premature birth, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, asthma and allergies, early puberty, obesity, diabetes, reduced fertility, and some types of cancer – shows links with exposure to chemicals that can interfere with the process of growth and development.

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Report | COPIRG | Consumer Protection

Big Banks Bigger Fees: A National Survey of Bank Fees and Fee Disclosure Policies

A survey of more than 350 bank branches reveals that fewer than half of branches obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers, while one in four provided no fee information at all. The report also includes a shopping guide, which will compare banking options, direct consumers to free and low-cost checking choices, and provide a list of fees that consumers should look out for when picking a bank.

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Report | Consumer Protection

Toward Common Ground

To break through the ideological divide that has dominated Washington this past year and offer a pathway to address the nation’s fiscal problems, the National Taxpayer Union and CoPIRG joined together to identify mutually acceptable deficit reduction.