Make America Healthy Again

April 18, 2025

Nebraska residents call for tighter insecticide regulations after contamination event

By Shannon Kelleher

More than four years after a massive contamination event tied to pesticide-coated farm seeds rocked a rural Nebraska community, environmental and public health advocates are calling on state officials to remove regulatory exemptions for the coated seeds, and to monitor waterways for the pesticide pollutants.

Supporters of the action have launched a petition drive, and plan to protest at the Nebraska state capitol this weekend as part of an observance of April 22 as Earth Day, and as part of national protests against actions by the Trump administration.

The action reflects persistent frustrations and fears among residents in the area of Mead, Nebraska, the site of a former ethanol plant that used discarded seeds coated with neonicotinoids (neonics) as feedstock and failed to properly dispose of the neonic-laden waste. The plant accumulated thousands of pounds of the waste onsite, failed to prevent it from leaking into waterways, and spread some on farm fields as a soil-conditioner.

Research has shown that neonics, which are types of neurotoxic insecticides, are known to be harmful to insects and a range of species, including potentially humans.

While the contamination crisis in Mead resulted from activities at one plant, the contamination concerns are part of a nationwide battle over neonics and neonic-treated seeds. The seeds are marketed by several of the world’s largest seed companies as tools for farmers to use to repel unwanted insects that threaten crops, and are largely exempted from specific US regulatory oversight.

“This is a window of opportunity where there is some nationwide focus on the issue,” said Janece Mollhoff, an area resident who lives downstream from Mead who is helping lead the petition drive. “We’re not sure if it will change the Governor’s mind, but we do want to raise awareness of the issue with folks in Nebraska. It’s a Big Ag issue and not a partisan issue, necessarily.”

March 7, 2025

Amid lack of faith in FDA, US states rush to ban food dyes

Call it a MAHA moment. At least a dozen US states – from traditionally conservative Oklahoma to liberal-leaning New York – are rushing to pass laws outlawing commonly used dyes and other chemical additives in foods, citing a need to protect public health.

In one of the most far-reaching efforts, West Virginia on Wednesday advanced a sweeping ban on a range of common food dyes that have been linked to health problems, particularly for children, with overwhelming support from both Republicans and Democrats.

The new law prohibits the sale of any food product containing certain yellow, blue, green and red dyes often found in candies, snacks and other foods and drinks, and goes much further than any other state in moving to eliminate the chemicals from store shelves.

The West Virginia measure has passed both legislative chambers and is expected to receive final clearance within the next week to move to the governor’s desk for signing.

Public health advocates have been lobbying for state and federal action for years, pointing to research that links food dyes and other chemical additives to a range of health risks, including neurobehavioral problems and cancers.

Food industry advocates have protested efforts to ban the additives, citing what they say is a lack of proof that the chemicals are harmful to people, and arguing such laws will make food more expensive.

But supporters of the measures say the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement associated with newly appointed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is giving fresh momentum to the efforts. Kennedy has long warned about chemical additives in food and vowed in his confirmation hearing before Congress to “scrutinize the chemical additives in our food supply.”

“There is a lot of support for these measures now for a few reasons. The most obvious one is the MAHA movement,” said Laura Wakim Chapman, chair of the West Virginia Senate Health and Human Resources Committee. “Viral videos and social media content is informing the public about the dangers of unnecessary food additives. I am a mother of two and care deeply about their health. I think most parents do.”

November 22, 2024

Friend or foe? Environmental advocates eye Kennedy nomination warily

By Shannon Kelleher

In the wake of last week’s announcement that President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), some leading environmental and public health advocates say they’ve found themselves in a “difficult” position.

On the one hand, Kennedy is a lifelong environmental advocate himself and is pushing a platform called “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA), which sets an agenda strikingly similar to those of many groups on the political left – “prioritizing regenerative agriculture, preserving natural habitats, and eliminating toxins from our food, water and air.”

But on the other, Kennedy’s alignment with Trump – who touts his intention to roll back regulations and undo many hard-fought consumer protections – and Kennedy’s controversial views on certain health-related issues, have left leading environmental health groups unclear on whether he should be seen as friend or foe.

Kennedy has argued for tighter US pesticide regulations and has spoken out against glyphosate, the main ingredient in the popular weedkiller Roundup that has been classified as a probable carcinogen by a major international cancer research group. He has also been sharply critical of regulators for failing to protect kids from harmful additives in food.

He rails against cozy connections between big business and the regulatory agencies that are supposed to oversee them, and vows to work to eliminate conflicts of interest in the agencies he would oversee, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and others.

“I can get the corruption out of the agencies,” said Kennedy in a recent interview. “It’s what I’ve been doing for 40 years. Once [the regulatory agencies] are not corrupt, once Americans are getting good science and are allowed to make their own choices, they’re going to get a lot healthier.”

Kennedy has a background as an environmental lawyer with a decades-long track record of fighting for green issues – he was once named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” for his work restoring the Hudson River, he founded the clean water advocacy group Waterkeeper Alliance, and he previously served as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

But critics point out that Kennedy has no medical training and has been accused of peddling baseless conspiracy theories and making claims not supported by science.