Government studying widely used chemicals linked to health issues
5 Dec 2019 | The New York Times
The federal government has started the first in a series of detailed studies of the impact the chemicals have had on human health.The goal is to determine what role the chemicals, known generally as PFAS, play in a long list of health conditions including thyroid, kidney, liver, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, among other ailments.
Commentary: What ‘Dark Waters’ reveals about corporate science
2 Dec 2019 | Chicago Tribune
When government agencies consider potentially harmful exposures and activities... they should insist the regulated industries... be required to pay for the research, but the studies... be conducted by scientists without conflicts of interest, under provisions that ensure their complete independence.
White House, CDC feuding over PFAS health study, causing delays, sources say
29 Nov 2019 | USA Today Network
Scientists say significant delays could limit the effectiveness of the study... “It seems like these kinds of studies should get really expedited reviews because of the concerns these communities have,” Southerland said. Southerland also said the OMB process can serve as a “black box,” where other federal agencies are able to exert influence away from the public eye.
The packaging industry takes on PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in our food supply
26 Nov 2019 | Civil Eats
In recent years, a series of studies revealed a large portion of compostable and paper food packaging is contaminated with PFAS. World Centric acted quickly, however, and is now part of a massive, industry-wide effort to remove PFAS products from their catalogs.
What ‘Dark Waters’ reveals about corporate science
26 Nov 2019 | Bloomberg Opinion
When the first public concerns abound the compound emerged, DuPont did what too many corporations do: They took a page from Big Tobacco’s playbook and hired a firm to sow doubt about the scientific evidence.
‘Dark Waters’ just the tip of the iceberg
22 Nov 2019 | The Boston Globe
What happened to Parkersburg is a tragedy — tens of thousands of people were poisoned by a cancer-causing chemical called PFOA. What’s more tragic is that Parkersburg is far from alone.
Mark Ruffalo and Robert Bilott on the new film ‘Dark Waters’
21 Nov 2019 | NPR, All Things Considered
“In the end, part of what the debate, I think, about this film should be - and I think it's a debate that we're having nationally - is, do these systems that are made to protect us - are they actually in service of us, or are they in service of a corporate political system? And that's why we can't end this movie with our hero driving away in a SUV and a happy ending.”
‘Forever chemicals’ found in drinking water across Kentucky
21 Nov 2019 | WFPL
In total, PFAS were found in 41 of the 81 water treatment plants sampled. In about 82 percent of those samples, researchers found levels under five ppt. The highest levels (PFOS + PFOA at 42 ppt or sum of all PFAS at 66 ppt) were measured in Eastern Kentucky along the Ohio River in South Shore.
Pentagon admits it undercounted military bases contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’
21 Nov 2019 | EWG Blog
“The Defense Department worked with 3M to create fluorinated foams and has known it was toxic for decades but failed to alert service members or clean up legacy pollution,” said Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president for government affairs. “Now we learn they haven’t even tallied up the full scope of PFAS contamination on military bases."
The list of military sites with suspected ‘forever chemicals’ contamination has grown
21 Nov 2019 | Military Times
“As part of this process, we think there are probably more installations, and I’m not ready to tell you what that number is, but we found that we under-counted,” Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment McMahon told reporters in a briefing at the Pentagon.
Mark Ruffalo hopes his ‘Dark Waters’ film leads to environmental ‘revolution’
20 Nov 2019 | Roll Call
“Are we a country that is going to be responsive to people and make sure that our people remain healthy?” star of the upcoming film “Dark Waters,” asked a crowd gathered Tuesday on Capitol Hill. “Or are we going to be responsible only to the bottom line of corporations and their greed? Because right now the people are losing.”
Mark Ruffalo’s environmental drama ‘Dark Waters’ gets DC premiere
20 Nov 2019 | The Hill
In his new film, Ruffalo plays lawyer Robert Bilott, who spent 20 years fighting a class action lawsuit against the DuPont chemical company, winning a more than $600 million settlement in 2017. The suit was over toxic runoff from a DuPont landfill with PFAS chemicals, which linger and contaminate water and food sources long after their initial use. There is no federal regulation of these chemicals, though the US EPA acknowledges that exposure to them can be dangerous for humans and that the chemicals can be found in food and water supplies.
PFAS chemicals raise questions about water safety
15 Nov 2019 | Seacoast Online
“Unfortunately, we have only begun to explore the extent of the PFAS problem,” said Patrick MacRoy, the deputy director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center. “Relatively few water supplies in Maine have been tested, and the state has yet to test most of the agricultural lands that were contaminated by PFAS-laden sludge. In addition to polluting the groundwater, this contamination may also be contaminating crops and animal feed, allowing PFAS to enter our food supply. The state must take aggressive action to uncover where we are being exposed to PFAS.
Congress close to striking landmark PFAS deal, Chairman says
14 Nov 2019 | Bloomberg Environment
Congress’ two chambers have largely resolved their differences over which provisions relating to “forever chemicals” should stay in an annual defense authorization bill, the House Armed Services Committee chairman said Nov. 13.
Defense Department claims new treatment technique a potential fix for PFAS-contaminated water
7 Nov 2019 | Military.com
"This is the only technology that actually destroys PFAS molecules that has been demonstrated at this scale; it doesn't just remove them from water," added Clarkson's Dr. Tom Holsen, also a principal researcher, in the release. "All of the other demonstrations that we're aware of remove it from the water through filtration so there is still a PFAS containing waste."