February 3, 2020 10:40 AM EDT
The EPA is relaxing requirements for cities to build proper sewage infrastructure and more sites are being reported with high levels of toxic PFAS chemicals. The evidence is spewing in about how foul our water will be under the Trump administration’s new water rules. Read more >
December 10, 2019 11:57 AM EDT
This year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has turned out to be a missed opportunity for a full-on government effort to do its job of protecting us. While we had high hopes for a strong compromise based on draft language adopted this summer, Congress has allowed political whims to get in the way of concrete action to improve people’s lives.While there was some initial progress made on phasing out some PFAS uses and requiring government testing and monitoring, we should also be sounding a rallying cry to continue working for the government action needed to help communities across the country and to make polluters pay for their harmful mess.
November 19, 2019 9:16 AM EDT
The image accompanying the 2016 New York Times piece, “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” has stuck with me since I first read it. The contrast of a man in a dark suit with darkened eyes and a grave face standing on a West Virginia farm on a wintry day is chilling. Rob Bilott’s expression in that photo captures so much of the PFAS story. It’s the face of a man tired of knowing the truth and not seeing the proportional response to that knowledge from those with the power and responsibility to protect people.
October 30, 2019 8:49 AM EDT
We have a big national PFAS contamination problem. PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances— are a class of man-made chemicals that are used in a variety of products to repel water and grease, including firefighting foam, nonstick cookware, and food packaging. These chemicals have been linked to health effects including various forms of cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, and increased cholesterol levels. While we’re all exposed to some degree, who’s most at risk of being harmed? Read more >
September 30, 2019 3:06 PM EDT
I spent Thursday and Friday of last week at the National Academies of Science Environmental Health Matters Initiatives (EHMI) workshop, “Identifying Opportunities to Understand, Control, and Prevent Exposure to PFAS” which brought together scientists, community members, NGOs, regulators, and industry representatives to think about some of the challenges and potential solutions related to the PFAS contamination issue plaguing our country. Read more >
