#pfas

#pfas

The first test of the Wynn-Stelt's water came back with PFAS levels at 24,000 parts-per-trillion, much higher than the 4-10 ppt limits the federal government would later set for the chemicals in 2024. It was such a high number local officials thought it had to be an error, but subsequent tests have shown numbers as high as 100,000 ppt for various PFAS, known as "forever chemicals" because they do not readily break down in water, soil, wildlife and humans.

Efforts to ban PFAS statewide have advanced this year: in October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1881, introduced by San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, which banned the use of PFAS in firefighting equipment for all California firefighters. And across the U.S., other departments have begun to make the transition: earlier this year, Providence, Rhode Island, rolled out new gear, and in 2024, Massachusetts passed a ban on the use of PFAS in firefighting PPE, set to take effect in 2027.

Chemours made the motion to seal documents as part of its lawsuit with local water utilities and governments in the federal District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, including the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA), Lower Cape Fear Water & Sewer Authority, Brunswick County, and the Town of Wrightsville Beach. U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever III released a decision Wednesday denying the motion to seal, stating that the public's First Amendment's right of access applies to the documents.

But unlike many smaller municipal utilities across the U.S., the Louisville Water Company regularly checks for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). That's a class of chemicals, used by manufacturers for decades to make things like nonstick pans, cosmetics, raincoats, food wrappers and firefighting foam. Research studies have linked PFAS to health risks like cancer, reduced immune system functioning, high cholesterol, and developmental delays in children.

It's understandable that Americans are concerned about water quality these days. Not only is the news filled with stories about unsafe drinking water, but we are also constantly bombarded by marketing messages trying to convince us that bottled water is better than tap water. A lot of the time, the water coming out of the tap tastes bad - so there has to be something wrong with it, right?

The assessment found that PFNA interferes with human development by causing lower birth weights and, based on animal evidence, likely causes damage to the liver and to male reproductive systems, including reductions in testosterone levels, sperm production and the size of reproductive organs. The report also calculated the amount of PFNA that people could be exposed to without being harmed - a critical measurement that can be used to set limits for cleaning up PFNA contamination in Superfund sites and for removing the chemical from drinking water.

US manufacturers who late last year asked the incoming Trump administration for a "regulatory reset" have seen roughly 80% of their specific regulatory requests acted on in just the first eight months of Trump taking office. The fast action across various agencies comes after 100 manufacturing industry groups sent a letter to then President-elect Donald Trump last December complaining of a "regulatory onslaught" under the Biden administration that the group said was "strangling" the economy.

Datacenters' electricity demands have been accused of delaying the US's transition to clean energy and requiring fossil fuel plants to stay online, while their high level of water consumption has also raised alarm. Now public health advocates fear another environmental problem could be linked to them Pfas forever chemical pollution. Big tech companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon often need datacenters to store servers and networking equipment that process the world's digital traffic, and the artificial intelligence boom is driving demand for more facilities.

The heartbreaking testimony of Amara Strande regarding her battle with cancer helped propel Minnesota to pass Amara's Law, banning PFAS chemicals.