HAZMAT

116 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 of PFOS and PFOA. The letter also notes the lack of transparency about the draft’s authorship. For the full text, click here.

EPA 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 human health when evaluated under its conditions of use.” The agency says the next step in the process is to “develop a risk management rulemaking to identify and apply measures that will manage these risks.” For the full text, click here. For the EPA statement and Final Risk Evaluation, click here.

PFAS 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 CERCLA Hazardous Substances. The public comment period will remain open until November 7, when EPA will issue an Advanced Notice of Public Rulemaking. For the full text and access to the Federal Register comment page, click here.

Recent 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, on August 30, 2022, requiring manufacturers to collect information on and publicly disclose products or product components containing PFAS that are sold or imported into California. These actions are just the latest in the growing tide of PFAS regulation.  For the full text, click here.

Scientists 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 expose weaknesses in even more PFAS-class substances, leading to paths for removing these chemicals from drinking water easily and cheaply. The researchers published their findings in the journal Science on Aug. 18.  For the full text, click here.

EPA 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 chemicals to make coatings and products that can repel water, grease, heat, and oil. The chemicals break down slowly over time and leach into water and soil, and have been found in the blood of people and animals. For the full text, click here.

EPA’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 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, known as CERCLA or the Superfund law, to designate chemicals as hazardous in the 40-plus years since its passage. For the full text, click here.

EPA 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 discharges, or threat of such discharges, and submit them to EPA. The response plan requirements are an important tool for communities and first responders to ensure preparedness in the event of a worst-case discharge of hazardous substances. The proposed rule discusses the various components that comprise response plans, including hazard evaluation, personnel roles and responsibilities, response actions, and drills and exercises. 

Click here for the full article. 

EPA 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 ensure unintentional PFAS contamination does not occur. The agency will also remove two PFAS from its Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) following a review of these substances. 

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An In-Depth Look at Hazard Communication Enforcement

EHS Daily Advisor

by Guy Burdick
National – The hazard communication standard (HCS) is the second most frequently cited federal workplace safety and health standard, surpassed only by the construction industry’s fall protection standard. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited the HCS 4,102 times between October 2018 and September 2019 during 2,276 inspections for fines totaling $5,105,026. Industries most frequently cited for hazard communication violations include manufacturing, construction, wholesale trade, waste management and remediation services, and accommodation and food services.

Click here for the full article.