Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently issued a report that found the Agency didn’t follow the typical intra-agency review and clearance process during the development and publication of the January 2021 perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) toxicity assessment. During the final clearance process for the assessment, a Trump political appointee ordered a last-minute review […]
Water is an important resource, but there are serious concerns about the contamination of drinking water with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” With that in mind, the Song of the Week’s is PJ Harvey’s dark and foreboding 1995 classic “Down by the Water.” The song is the first single from […]
With the EPA finalizing the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the next obvious question becomes: Who is legally liable for both the consequences of their presence and the cost of removing these chemicals from drinking water? The U.S. Senate Committee on […]
On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced it issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” Exposure to PFAS has been linked to deadly cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to […]
On March 21, 2024, a federal appeals court ruled the EPA overstepped its authority in ordering Inhance Technologies, LLC, to stop producing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during the fluorination of plastic containers. Background On December 1, 2023, the EPA issued orders to Inhance, a Houston-based plastics treatment company, directing it not to produce PFAS […]
On February 1, 2024, the EPA announced two new proposed regulations to protect communities and the environment from the health risks posed by certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that are also referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their resistance to breaking down in the environment over […]
Last year, lawsuits against major chemical manufacturers resulted in settlements totaling more than $11 billion. This year, as the EPA brings even more regulations into play and awareness of the extent of the harm from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination continues to grow, analysts predict substantially more lawsuits will be filed, resulting in even […]
The state of Ohio recently reached a settlement of $110 million with The Chemours Co., Dupont De Nemours Inc., and Corteva Inc. to resolve legal claims of chemical contamination dating back 70 years from the company’s Parkersburg, West Virginia, facility, Washington Works. “Chemours, a spin-off of DuPont, said it would be responsible for half of […]
On December 1, 2023, the EPA issued orders to Inhance Technologies LLC (Inhance) directing it not to produce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals that are created in the production of its fluorinated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic containers. “This action, taken under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), will help protect the […]
Recent data released by the EPA shows drinking water systems serving 46 million people have per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in concentrations at or above the Agency’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) minimum reporting level (MRL) and therefore above the agency’s Health Advisory (HA) levels. “Of about 3,200 systems included so far, 854 measured at […]