Industry acts to head off regulation on PFAS pollution from semiconductors

By Tom Perkins | The Guardian | August 26, 2024

Read the full article by Tom Perkins (The Guardian)

“Producers of PFAS chemicals and semiconductors, a key part of most electronics, have formed a group that develops industry-friendly science aimed at heading off regulation as the facilities release high levels of toxic waste, documents seen by the Guardian show.

The group, called the PFAS Consortium, was formed during a boom in domestic semiconductor production spurred by the Chips and Science Act that has led to $825bn in investment aimed at shoring up the industry.

Left unchecked, however, the boom could also generate huge levels of toxic waste, experts fear. The semiconductor industry is a prolific polluter and a major source of unregulated and unmonitored toxic PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals’, some of which also turn into potent greenhouse gas."

This content provided by the PFAS Project.