• Water

New DoD Study Shows that 250 More Military Installations Have PFAS Contamination

• #ForeverChemicals
• Department of Defense
• drinking water
• fire retardant
• ground water
• military bases
• PFAS
• PFOA

DoD’s PFAS Task Force issued a report in which it admitted that the number of military installations that could be contaminated with the “forever chemicals” is far greater than they previously thought — the number jumped from 401 to 651.

Why This Matters:  DoD is continuing to document its failures and is not acting with enough urgency to address the toxic contamination at its installations, large and small across the country.

• Water

Public Pressure Over PFAS Chemical Contamination Forces EPA to Regulate Them

• EPA
• Forever Chemicals
• PFAS
• PFOA
• safe drinking water

Late last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would soon set legal limits for two PFAS chemicals in drinking water. 

Why This Matters: This announcement is certainly progress — but no limits have been set yet and we would not be this close to having them if it were not for huge pressure on the EPA from lawmakers and the public.

• Politics

As Focus Shifts To NH, Climate Change and Clean Water Are Key Issues

• clean water
• climate change
• PFAS
• snow
• storm surge

Climate change and clean water are the two biggest environmental issues facing the Democratic Presidential candidates stumping in New Hampshire. 

Why This Matters:  Pollution and climate change were big issues in Iowa and they will be important in New Hampshire as well.  The recreation industry is poised to take a beating due to shortened ski seasons and PFAS contamination is pervasive and too expensive to clean up right now.

• Water

President Trump Promises to Veto any Legislation Mandating PFAS Regulation

• #Darkwaters
• Forever Chemicals
• PFAS
• safe drinking water

The White House said in a statement that the President would veto any PFAS legislation because it would  “bypass well-established processes, procedures, and legal requirements of the Nation’s most fundamental environmental laws….”

Why This Matters:  So much for crystal clear waters.  The administration had promised that EPA would issue new regulations creating limits on PFAS contamination in rivers and drinking water by the end of 2019, but they failed to do so.

• Water

Top Stories of 2019: PFAS Pollution Puts Drinking Water for Tens of Millions at Risk

• #Darkwaters
• clean water
• PFAS
• safe drinking water
• toxic pollution

The feature film “Dark Waters” exposed the scandal that Congress and the President are ignoring.  According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), PFAS contamination is now found at 1,361 locations in 49 states — and in a variety of sources including community water systems, groundwater sources, military bases, airports, and industrial sites. According to EWG’s analysis […]

• Health

New Study Finds Toxic PFAS in Rainwater Across the U.S.

• #Darkwaters
• Forever Chemicals
• PFAS
• toxic pollution
• water pollution

We have reported in ODP about widespread PFAS contamination in lakes, rivers and groundwater reserves across the country, but this study shows that PFAS is also found in rainwater, according to The Guardian, and the likely sources are direct industrial emissions and evaporation from PFAS-laden fire-fighting foams.

Why This Matters:  PFAS has been shown to cause serious health issues such as cancer, and the immune system and thyroid problems.