WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a bipartisan group of 11 senators calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set standards on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in bottled water to ensure bottled water products are safe for drinking. PFAS are pervasive and persistent chemicals that accumulate in people’s bodies over time, and exposure to these chemicals has been linked to cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility, and other serious health conditions.
“Despite the clear and present danger PFAS exposure presents, there are no enforceable limits on these substances in drinking water in the United States,” wrote the senators in a letter to FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock. “Given the widespread persistence of PFAS in our environment and drinking water, many people have turned to bottled water to avoid adding toxic chemicals to their bodies. Establishing [Standards of Quality] for bottled water is an important step that will help ensure consumer confidence and protect public health.”
PFAS were first developed in the 1940s and are used in many products across all industries due to their grease-, water-, and oil-repellent properties, including food packaging, nonstick pans, carpeting, and many more. Their properties also make them persistent in the environment, leading to PFAS becoming ubiquitous in contaminating water sources throughout the United States.
When tap water is compromised, many consumers turn to bottled water. The FDA regulates bottled water, but has not set a limit for PFAS chemicals in bottled water. Without nationwide FDA regulations for PFAS in bottled water or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for tap water, some states have implemented their own PFAS rules for drinking water, but no such state rules exist for bottled water.
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The Ansonia Police Department is attempting to locate a juvenile runaway who made statements of self-harm to her family. Alecia Vega, age 15, was last seen today, 5/19/2021, in the area of Pershing Drive and Bridge Street wearing a gray zip up sweatshirt, and gray sweat pants with her hair in a high bun and black headband. Alecia is 5’8”, 210Lbs, with brown hair, and brown eyes. Anyone with information or knows the whereabouts of Alecia is asked to contact the Ansonia Police Department at 203-735-1885. Tips can be left anonymously through Tip411 at the link below.
2021-05-19@7:18pm–#Fairfield CT– Today’s vehicle fire is a motorcycle in the middle of Old Post and Beach Road on fire. Firefighters quickly took care of it.
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#Westport CT–On May 14, 2021 at approximately 8:00 p.m., Westport Police officers responded to the area of 296 Greens Farms Road on a report of a one car accident. Upon arrival, the investigating officer observed that the car involved had heavy front – end damage. The operator of the vehicle was identified as Gayle Gawlik and she claimed she was not injured in the accident. Ms. Gawlik purportedly stated that she was trying to answer a phone call through the car’s blue tooth system when she lost control of the vehicle and ended up striking a cement pillar that was located on the right shoulder. The investigating officer noticed that Ms. Gawlik was unsteady on her feet and also reported that he could detect the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath when speaking with her. Due to these indicators of possible intoxication, a standardized field sobriety test was conducted. Ms. Gawlik did not perform to standard and therefore the officer had probable cause to believe that Ms. Gawlik had been operating her vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Ms. Gawlik was placed under arrest and charged with Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs and Failure to Drive in the Proper Lane. She was released from custody after posting a $500.00 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at Norwalk Superior Court the morning of June 14, 2021.
BRIDGEPORT, CT) – Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), today announced that space in downtown Bridgeport will serve as the company’s Connecticut headquarters for the company’s Park City Wind (PCW) project. Additionally, the developer also announced that a lease at Barnum Landing has been signed to use the property as a construction and staging location for the 804-megawatt (MW) project.
“We are excited to announce the signing of leases for both our Connecticut headquarters and the construction and staging site for our Park City Wind project,” said Vineyard Wind Deputy CEO Sy Oytan. “The offshore wind industry can help transform Bridgeport’s waterfront into a hub for new and growing industry. By taking important steps like this today, we can lay a larger foundation for the jobs of tomorrow.”
“This headquarters opening in Bridgeport represents some of the best examples of what we’re doing at the state level to invest in our cities and make our state a leader when it comes to our climate,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “These investments will lead to good jobs and cleaner energy. It’s an exciting moment for Bridgeport and our state’s future.”
“Today’s announcement is an important step forward in the state’s broader plans to capitalize on offshore wind energy’s vast economic opportunity,” said David Lehman, commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. “Having Vineyard establish operations in Bridgeport is great news as it will bring jobs and additional economic vibrancy to the city’s waterfront.”
“We are excited to welcome Vineyard Wind and their growing footprint in Connecticut. This is the latest example of the offshore wind industry’s roots taking hold in Connecticut, making our crucial decarbonization goals possible while sprouting new clean energy jobs,” said Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes.
“This is great news for Bridgeport,” said Mayor Joseph Ganim. “Park City Wind will also offer immediate labor opportunities for our work force as they employ men and women in the construction trade at their Barnum Landing location. We look forward to a ribbon cutting and welcome Vineyard Winds Headquarters to their new downtown offices.”
“Park City Wind is a tremendous opportunity to revitalize Bridgeport by creating thousands of good paying jobs with good benefits in both the wind industry and throughout the local supply chain,” said State Representative Chris Rosario. “With Vineyard Winds headquarters in downtown Bridgeport, and their Park City Wind offshore development at Barnum Landing. They are honoring their commitment to provide these jobs in the great city of Bridgeport.”
The Park City Wind office will be located at 350 Fairfield Avenue and will be home to more than a dozen employees focused on project development, community outreach and workforce development. The office is expected to open this summer with a formal ribbon cutting ceremony.
Vineyard Wind also announced that Barnum Landing, a 15-acre parcel located at 525 Seaview Avenue, will be used during the construction phase of the PCW project, which will include storage and assembly of the transition pieces, the portion of the turbine that anchors the body of the machines to the steel foundation. Once construction is completed, Vineyard Wind intends to use 3 acres of the port site for an operations and maintenance hub that will support local jobs for the 20-plus year lifespan of the project.
The PCW project was selected by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in December of 2019 to provide 804 megawatts of clean, affordable and reliable energy to the state. PCW, which will provide roughly 14% of the state’s electricity supply, represents the largest purchase of renewable energy in state history and is expected to include an estimated $890 million in direct economic development in Connecticut and support 2,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) job years. AVANGRID, a 50% partner in Vineyard Wind, is headquartered in Orange, Connecticut and has been serving the Constitution State for over a century through its subsidiaries United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas.
#Bridgeport CT– After a series of bad news for the police department the brass is attempting damage control with the citizens. We were told Chief Garcia is working East Main Street while the deputy chief and captains are working the projects. Well, at least you can tell them what’s on your mind!
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BLUMENTHAL HOLDS HEARING ON PROTECTING KIDS ONLINE
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) chaired a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security on protecting kids online. With children’s screen time surging on popular apps like TikTok, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram, kids are being exposed to safety and privacy issues including data collection, aggressive marketing, and sexual exploitation.
“Big tech and data brokers are spying on children, watching them play, monitoring their lives. No company should be allowed to collect permanent, invasive dossiers on our children. Even more concerning are the cesspool of elicit pitches to kids,” said Blumenthal in his opening remarks, highlighting a recent survey from anti-human trafficking organization Thorn which found that more than a quarter of children nine to 11 years old received sexual solicitations on social media, often by adults. “These children are also assailed by aggressive, sophisticated and undisclosed marketing that prey on their impressionable minds and exploit those dossiers of private information for commercial gain.”
Blumenthal and Ranking Member Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) invited TikTok to testify at the hearing, due to the app’s popularity with young audiences, but the company declined the invitation. Blumenthal called out TikTok for refusing to take part in the hearing, stating: “We asked them to come in and explain how they are safeguarding children. Parents deserve to hear from TikTok and I’m disappointed that TikTok rejected our invitation and refused to discuss these issues with Congress. We’re going to continue to invite them to come. I hope that they will give parents and Congress the explanations we deserve.”
Blumenthal also expressed ongoing concerns about Facebook’s recent announcement that it will launch a version of Instagram for children, pointing out the app’s “notorious record of disinformation, bullying, and deception,” and aggressive Instagram influencer marketing to young fans. “I have no trust, none, that Facebook will keep these young users safe. It has failed far too often,” said Blumenthal. “Facebook should stop this additional intrusive and potentially dangerous interference in kids’ lives and abandon plans for an Instagram Kids.” Earlier today, Blumenthal, along with U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Lori Trahan (D-MA) issued a joint statement, calling on Facebook to abandon its plans to develop this new platform.
To address rampant safety and privacy issues facing children online, Blumenthal expressed support for strong Congressional action, including the bipartisan Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act, examining the United Kingdom’s online safety bill, and broader action on Section 230 reform as outlined by the bipartisan EARN IT Act, stating: [W]e must stop these business practices of negligence and commercial exploitation of children that now exists online. Spying and preying on children is never okay. Parents are powerless to prevent it now. They need the tools to stop it themselves or Congress must intervene to end it.”
The video of Blumenthal’s opening remarks at today’s hearing is available here and the transcript of the Senator’s opening remarks is available below.
Welcome to this hearing, Protecting Kids Online. I want to thank Ranking Member Blackburn and the witnesses for being here today, her collaboration has been invaluable and I’m looking forward to the excellent observations that we’ll hear from you and from the United Kingdom.
As children spend drastically more time online, the tech platforms really have become a perilous minefield for many of them. They are deeply addictive, potentially destructive without sufficient parental supervision or safeguards. I’ve fought for data privacy rules for consumers and accountability for tech companies, focusing on the harms that they cause. Nowhere is that more profound and urgent than for children.
Big tech and data brokers are spying on children, watching them play, monitoring their lives. No company should be allowed to collect permanent, invasive dossiers on our children. Even more concerning are the cesspool of elicit pitches to kids. In a survey last week by the anti-human trafficking organization Thorn, the finding was that more than a quarter of children nine to 11 years old received sexual solicitations on social media, often by adults. A quarter of those children received sexual solicitation.
These children are also assailed by aggressive, sophisticated and undisclosed marketing that prey on their impressionable minds and exploit those dossiers of private information for commercial gain.
Two examples: one TikTok, the other Instagram. According to Thorn, 66 percent of young children nine to 12 years old use the video sharing app TikTok. It can often be informative and entertaining. It has held itself out to parents as safe but it has aggressively recruited young users. Regrettably, TikTok has a troubling track record on children’s privacy. Only two years ago, TikTok paid a then-record $5.7 million fine for disregarding our children’s privacy rules and illegally collecting data about kids. It then shared this sensitive information with third parties and advertisers.
This practice still continues. In March 2020, children’s advocates led by Professor Campbell filed a complaint with the Federal Tread Commission alleging TikTok continues to violate the law. TikTok is also facing investigations in Europe for failing to protect children.
Privacy is not the only issue. Organizations like the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and the Center for Digital Democracy have all raised concerns about predatory sexual content and manipulative advertising on TikTok. The FTC even called attention to TikTok being used by predators to groom nearby children in its case against the company.
Because TikTok is so popular with young audiences, Ranking Member Blackburn and I invited the company to this hearing. We asked them to come in and explain how they are safeguarding children. Parents deserve to hear from TikTok and I’m disappointed that TikTok rejected our invitation and refused to discuss these issues with Congress. We’re going to continue to invite them to come. I hope that they will give parents and Congress the explanations we deserve. They’ve been failing to do it.
I’m also alarmed by Facebook’s recent announcement that it will launch a version of Instagram marketed to children. Instagram has a notorious record of disinformation, bullying, and deception. Prominent Instagram influencers often push alcohol, tobacco, and other dangerous products on young fans, despite warnings from the FTC.
Sexual exploitation is also a problem. According to Thorn, 16 percent of children and teens that have been sexually harassed on Instagram tied with Snapchat for the most reports of harm. I have no trust, none, that Facebook will keep these young users safe. It has failed far too often. For example, one design flaw in its Messenger Kids app allowed strangers to chat with children. Given that record, I cannot imagine why Facebook would bulldoze ahead into kids’ lives. Senator Markey and I wrote to Facebook asking questions about its plans and we have received woefully inadequate answers. I agree with the 44 state attorneys general and dozens of child welfare specialists saying no. Facebook should abandon its plans for Instagram Kids. Facebook should stop this additional intrusive and potentially dangerous interference in kids’ lives and abandon plans for an Instagram Kids.
As for the way forward, we must stop these business practices of negligence and commercial exploitation of children that now exists online. Spying and preying on children is never okay. Parents are powerless to prevent it now. They need the tools to stop it themselves or Congress must intervene to end it.
I commend my colleagues Senators Markey and Cassidy for introducing bipartisan Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act. I’ve worked on this issue with them and I will be strongly supporting and advocating such measures. But we need to do more. The EARN IT Act that Senator Graham and I introduced last session, approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee, offers a template for even broader action on Section 230. Eventually, tech platforms must be held accountable, they must bear liability for obvious violations of criminal and perhaps civil law, and the cutbacks in Section 230 immunity, carefully tailored to meet the needs of harm to children, offer a very important path forward.
