EPA scientists evaluating new chemicals “are the last line of defense between harmful - even deadly - chemicals and their introduction into U.S. In recent days, the Intercept whistleblower has alleged that the Environmental Protection Agency’s office responsible for reviewing toxic chemicals tampered with the ratings of dozens of chemicals to make them appear safer. The Government Accountability Office, the oversight arm of Congress, still identifies the Toxic Substances Control Act as a program with one of the highest risks of abuse and mismanagement. In 2016, Congress strengthened the law, strengthening the EPA’s authority to require health tests, among other measures. Moreover, the Toxic Substances Control Law established in Thousands of chemicals are already in commercial use, including many PFAS chemicals. The EPA’s assessment was conducted under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which authorizes the agency to review and regulate new chemicals before they are manufactured or distributed.īut experts say that law has had loopholes for years that have left Americans exposed to harmful chemicals. The findings underscore how for decades the state’s laws governing various chemicals have allowed thousands of substances to enter commercial use with relatively few tests. Schug, professor of analytical chemistry at the University of Texas at Arlington, said, though he added that there was not enough information to establish a direct link between the chemicals in the database to those that Approved by the EPA, he said it was clear “that an approved polymer, if and when it breaks down in the environment, will degrade into PFAS.” The chemicals identified in the FracFocus database fell into the group of PFAS compounds, Kevin A. But it wasn’t until the early 2000s, when environmental attorney Rob Bilott sued DuPont for pollution from a Teflon plant in Parkersburg, Virginia, that the dangers of PFAS began to be widely known. Industry researchers have long been aware of its toxicity. Both Congress and the Biden administration have moved to Better regulation of PFAS, which pollutes the drinking water of up to 80 million Americans. These substances have come under scrutiny in recent years due to their tendency to persist in the environment, accumulating within the human body, as well as their association with health problems such as cancer and birth defects. “EPA Approved Toxic Chemicals for Drilling a Decade Ago, New Files Show Fracking Fallout.” The Times Tribune,13 July 2021, pp A1 and A5.A class of man-made chemicals that are toxic even in trace concentrations, PFAS has been used for decades to make products such as nonstick pans, stain-resistant carpet, and firefighting foam. ![]() Our attorneys have continued to fight for Marcellus Shale area victims for the past fourteen years! Remember: Injury? CALL DLP! (570) C-A-L-L-D-L-P. If you or a loved one has been affected by a gas drilling injury, please reach out to our expert team of trial lawyers at Dougherty Leventhal & Price, LLP. Contact an Experienced Pennsylvania Gas Drilling Injury Attorney ![]() That being said, Nick Conger, a spokesperson for the EPA, says that the chemicals being investigated were approved over ten years ago, and currently there are amendments that make companies declare the safety of chemicals before being used. However, Chemours is named as one of the users of these chemicals. The article mentions that the documents containing the approval of these chemicals as well as the company’s name are still confidential because the EPA grants companies the opportunity to have “trade-secret claims”, which means that information can be kept hidden from the public. In addition, PFAS in the environment can be damaging to humans and wildlife as they can pose significant health dangers. Yet, they still approved the use of these chemicals. Dusty Horwitt, a researcher at Physicians for Social Responsibility, reported that the EPA knew that these chemicals were toxic. These chemicals used for fracking can develop into toxic substances known as PFAS which are used to tone down the movement of oil from the ground. On July 13 th, 2021, the Scranton Times printed a front-page article from the New York Times regarding toxic chemicals that were approved for the drilling process by the EPA over a decade ago.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |