‘Forever chemical’ polluters land hefty contracts to meet electric vehicle battery demand

By Craig Welch, Jana Cholakovska, Pooja Sarkar, Alec Gitelman, Clare Fieselerand, and Emilie Rosso | The Examination | July 10, 2024

Read the full article by Craig Welch, Jana Cholakovska, Pooja Sarkar, Alec Gitelman, Clare Fieselerand, and Emilie Rosso (The Examination)

"Propulsion without the need for petroleum: That’s the lithium-ion battery’s promise.

Backed by government incentives across the globe, lithium-ion batteries are hailed as key to a green transportation revolution — and for good reason. They cut planet-warming emissions. They promote independence from fossil fuels. 

Today, electric vehicle purchases are soaring. They’re expected to account for half of car sales worldwide in the next decade. 

But as battery production ramps up — amid record spending to combat climate change — so does a hidden risk that few outside New Jersey or southern France may recognize. And it’s a risk residents of Augusta, Georgia, and communities along the South’s “battery belt” and elsewhere ought to know."

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• Products
• SourcesManufacturing facilities
• Environment
• Wildlife
• Affected community
• Health
• PFAS Uses