Archive for July 2024
EPA Lost Big at the Supreme Court This Term. There’s More to Come.
E&E News by POLITICO by Pamela King The Supreme Court is taking aim at EPA’s ability to stop pollution and curb climate change — even in cases that don’t directly involve the agency. In one of the biggest cases this term, the justices struck down the Chevron doctrine, a powerful legal tool that for 40 years had helped…
Read MoreOSHA Worker Heat Stress Proposal Goes to White House for Review
Bloomberg by Bruce Rolfsen National – A proposed federal rule to protect indoor and outdoor workers from heat stress is now under review at the White House. The agency has been working on a national heat stress standard (RIN:1218-AD39) since 2021 amid rising global temperatures that have led to some of the hottest summers on record. Text of…
Read MoreGetting Pfas Out of Drinking Water
C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) by Britt E. Erickson When scientists discovered three per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at worrisome levels in the drinking water provided to about 450 people in rural Maysville, North Carolina, town officials sprang into action. It was 2019, and at the time, there were no guidelines or federal limits for PFAS in…
Read MoreToxic PFAS Absorbed Through Skin at Levels Higher than Previously Thought
The Guardian by Tom Perkins New research “for the first time proves” toxic PFAS forever chemicals are absorbed through human skin, and at levels much higher than previously thought. Though modeling and research has suggested the dangerous chemicals are absorbed through skin, University of Birmingham researchers say they used lab-grown tissue that mimics human skin to determine…
Read MoreScientists Urge Canada to Address PFAS in the Great Lakes
The Narwhal by Fatima Syed Canada – The release of everyday wastewater from our homes and businesses into the environment is Canada’s largest source of water pollution. This dirty water is full of toxic substances that can harm our lakes and rivers. Some is removed or treated, like the phosphorus in sewage that creates harmful algae…
Read MoreLawyers to Plastics Makers: Prepare for ‘Astronomical’ PFAS Lawsuits That Could Dwarf Asbestos
New York Times by Hiroko Tabuchi New York, NY – At an industry presentation about dangerous “forever chemicals,” lawyers predicted a wave of lawsuits that could dwarf asbestos litigation. They were referring to PFAS, the “forever chemicals” that have emerged as one of the major pollution issues of our time. Used for decades in countless everyday…
Read MoreFormer Army Family Awarded $10m for Claim that Moldy Home at Fort Cavazos Damaged Son’s Health for Life
Stars and Stripes by Rose L. Thayer AUSTIN, Texas — A former Army sergeant and his family were awarded more than $10 million Monday after a private arbitration panel agreed the moldy home that they leased at Fort Cavazos caused lifelong health problems for their youngest son and triggered financial hardship and loss. The American Arbitration…
Read MoreMold Scandal in Massachusetts Leads to $200,000 Fine for Marijuana MSO
MJBizDaily.com by Chris Roberts Monson, MA – Massachusetts regulators last month fined marijuana multistate operator Holistic Industries $200,000 after a mold outbreak in which the company allegedly “knowingly” sold contaminated cannabis. According to an April 15 stipulated settlement between the company and the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) approved May 9, the agency alleged Holistic knew…
Read MoreWaste of the Day: Contractors Left Mold, Leaky Pipes in Public Buildings
Real Clear Investigations by Adam Andrzejewski National – The General Services Administration spent $1.2 billion last year on 340 contracts for maintenance in public buildings around the country, but a recent inspector general report says companies are not “complying with the terms” of those contracts. Contractors are supposed to review their own performance monthly, but auditors…
Read MoreIICRC Mold Remediation Certification Required Under New Virginia Law
Cleaning & Restoration Magazine Virginia – Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia signed HB 1270 into law. The new legislation, which will go into effect July 1, 2024, makes it a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act “to sell or offer for sale services as a professional mold remediator, to be performed upon any residential…
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