HAZMAT
Why the US is Losing the Fight to Ban Toxic Chemicals
ProPublica National – From a powerful chemical industry that helped write the toxic substances law to an underfunded EPA lacking in resolve, the flaws in the American chemical regulatory apparatus run deep. The flaws of the American chemical regulatory apparatus run deeper than funding or the decisions of the last presidential administration. ProPublica spoke with…
Read More116 Scientists Send Letter Rejecting WHO’s Draft PFAS Guidelines
Phys.org Berkeley, CA More than 100 scientists sent a letter to the World Health Organization today urging a complete overhaul or withdrawal of the organization’s draft drinking water guidelines for the two most well-studied per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The letter details how WHO’s draft eschews calculating health-based standards, disregarding robust evidence for the harms…
Read MoreEPA Finds Methylene Chloride Poses an Unreasonable Risk
EPA Washington, DC The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says a solvent used in vapor degreasing, metal cleaning, and in sealants and adhesive removers is a health risk. The EPA finalized a revision to the risk determination for methylene chloride, finding that “methylene chloride — as a whole chemical substance — presents an unreasonable risk of injury to…
Read MorePFAS Update: EPA Proposed Listing PFOS and PFOA as CERCLA Hazardous Substances
JDSupra National EPA announced that it is proposing to designate perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”) as Hazardous Substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA”). This designation will affect remediation efforts, notification requirements, and due diligence activities and will have ripple effects across many state regulations that reference…
Read MoreRecent Developments in the Regulation of PFAS
JDSupra National In response to the growing concern regarding per – and polyfluoralkyl substances (“PFAS”), the federal government and California have taken recent actions to regulate PFAS. On October 18, 2021, EPA announced its PFAS Strategic Roadmap, which set forth EPA’s proposal to address PFAS. the California legislature passed its own PFAS legislation, AB 2247,…
Read MoreScientists Research a Simpler Way to Destroy ‘Forever’ Chemicals
Live Science by Stephanie Pappas University of CA – Synthetic compounds known as “forever chemicals” because they never break down in the environment can actually be destroyed — by beheading. Scientists discovered a simple destruction technique that works on 10 types of these chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Researchers hope that the method will…
Read MoreEPA Wants to Label Certain ‘Forever Chemicals’ As Hazardous Substances
CNN by Jen Christensen Washington, DC – The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it proposes to label certain “forever chemicals” that are found in hundreds of household items and pollute drinking water systems across the country as hazardous substances. There are thousands of per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals. Since the 1940s, manufacturers have used the…
Read MoreEPA’s Plan to Use Superfund Law On PFAS Stirs Cleanup Cost Worries
Bloomberg Law Washington, DC – The EPA’s plan to designate for the first time two “forever chemicals” as hazardous substances under the powerful Superfund law has sparked fears of runaway costs associated with cleaning up contaminated sites, attorneys say. An EPA proposal to designate PFOA and PFOS would be the first time the agency has wielded the…
Read MoreEPA Proposes Regulations to Plan for Hazardous Substance Discharge in Adverse Weather Conditions
EPA Washington, DC EPA proposed new requirements for certain facilities to plan for worst-case discharges of Clean Water Act (CWA) hazardous substances. A worst-case discharge is the largest foreseeable discharge in adverse weather conditions, including those due to climate change. Facilities subject to the proposed rule are required to prepare response plans for worst-case…
Read MoreEPA Takes Action to Continue Addressing Pfas in Commerce
EPA National EPA is announcing two important actions to safeguard communities from products containing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). First, as part of EPA’s effort to identify, understand and address PFAS contamination leaching from fluorinated containers, the agency is notifying companies of their obligation to comply with existing requirements under the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA) to…
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