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Columbia finds ‘forever chemicals’ in fertilizer sludge, continues to apply to crops

by Jefferson City News Tribune | June 8, 2024
For more than 40 years, the city of Columbia has applied tens of thousands of tons of wastewater sludge as fertilizer on farms across mid-Missouri. Now, it turns out its sludge contains “forever chemicals” known to cause cancer and other health problems. Public Employees for ...

EPA enabled widespread contamination of farmland from PFAS in fertilizer, lawsuit alleges

by The New Lede | June 7, 2024
US regulators failed to prevent toxic PFAS in fertilizers from contaminating farmland across the country, alleges a lawsuit filed this week by a watchdog group on behalf of two Texas farm families who suffered health problems after their properties were polluted. The Environmental ...

Residents Want Artificial Turf Field Gone, Demand Answers at BOE Meeting

by Montclair Local | June 7, 2024
“Send it back. Send it back,” residents chanted at Wednesday’s Montclair Board of Education meeting. The “it” they referred to is the artificial turf field currently in temporary storage at Woodman Field. The turf is slated for eventual installation as part of the Woodman Field ...

Farmers sue EPA over ‘forever chemicals’ in fertilizer

by E&E News | June 7, 2024
Five Texas farmers and ranchers are suing EPA over its failure to limit “forever chemicals” in sludge, a problem that they say has killed their animals, jeopardized their health and devalued their land. “EPA is avoiding its long-standing legal responsibility to protect ...

Asked & Answered: PFAS Q&A with Kyla Bennett

by Modern Farmer | June 7, 2024
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are chemicals that are used commercially for their nonstick or waterproof properties. The problem is that they don’t readily break down and have been associated with harmful health conditions. Today, these chemicals can be found everywhere. ...

Talking Points: Summer 2024

by Earth Island Journal | June 6, 2024
Astroturfing is bad for the environment — and not just metaphorically. New research suggests that athletes playing on artificial turf may be exposed to higher levels of toxic PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” than those who play on real grass, raising concerns about the safety of these ...

Texas Farmers Sue EPA for Alleged Inaction on Forever Chemicals

by Bloomberg Law | June 6, 2024
A group of five Texas farmers and ranchers sued the EPA on Thursday for its alleged failure to properly regulate PFAS in fertilizer. “EPA is avoiding its longstanding legal responsibility to protect our health and environment from PFAS in biosolids,” Kyla Bennett, science policy ...

Waste Land: America’s farmland is spread with sludge as concerns rise about contaminants

by Columbia Missourian | June 5, 2024
America’s farmland is a dumping ground. Industrial food waste and sewage sludge are being spread on millions of acres nationwide. Some call it free fertilizer, rich in nutrients. Others say the practice should be halted due to threats from emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals, ...

Hazardous waste incinerators see PFAS disposal opportunity, emissions questions remain

by Waste Dive | June 5, 2024
The U.S. EPA’s updated its interim guidance for the tricky problem of how to dispose of PFAS waste has boosted interest in incineration, one of the agency’s sanctioned disposal methods. But research is still lacking on the pathways and effects of combustion byproducts. PFAS, a class of ...

Farmers concerned about ‘forever chemicals’ found in wastewater sludge

by Columbia Missourian | June 5, 2024
In Texas, five farmers are suing Synagro for providing fertilizer they said contaminated their water supply, affected their health, damaged their land and killed their livestock after a neighboring farmer spread it on his land. Dana Ames, an environmental crimes investigator with the ...

Analysis: Rangeland damage from wild horses, burros far exceeded by cattle grazing

by Boise State Public Radio | June 4, 2024
Compared to cattle, wild horses and burros cause much less damage to public rangeland, according to a new analysis. The advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility – or PEER – has analyzed nearly three decades of Bureau of Land Management data detailing the ...

Maine Farmers’ Group Announces Plans to Sue the EPA Over PFAS in Sludge

by Consumer Reports | June 3, 2024
A group representing organic farmers in Maine has announced it will sue the Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act for the agency’s failure to protect their land, crops, and livestock from toxic PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” The group, the Maine Organic Farmers and ...

Weekly Agriculture: Farm bill could target child labor

by Politico | June 3, 2024
The EPA allegedly failed to report PFAS detected in pesticides samples sent to the agency for testing, according to a complaint filed last week by watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). EPA tests all pesticides prior to registration due to the known ...

EPA Faces Criticism Over PFAS Contamination Data in Pesticide Tests

by One Green Planet | June 1, 2024
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been accused of misconduct in its reporting on the testing of pesticides for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sparking concerns over transparency and scientific integrity. A watchdog group, Public Employees for Environmental ...

You’d Be Amazed How Many People Want Big Oil Charged With Homicide

by The New Republic | May 30, 2024
Former Environmental Protection Agency employees with the nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility have accused the EPA of incorrectly reporting the results of PFAS testing in pesticides, falsely telling the public that these long-lasting, potentially damaging chemicals ...

EPA accused of ‘egregious’ misconduct in PFAS testing of pesticides: Watchdog group reveals disturbing findings

by Nation of Change | May 30, 2024
Allegations of serious misconduct have been leveled against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by a watchdog group and a former EPA research fellow. Documents obtained from the EPA suggest that the agency may have presented false information to the public regarding the presence ...

EPA is accused of misreporting PFAS data

by Chemical & Engineering News | May 30, 2024
The US Environmental Protection Agency falsely reported last year that it did not detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in pesticides, according to a complaint by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a public health advocacy group. PEER claims that ...

EPA accused of corruption in huge scandal over pesticide test results

by TAG24 | May 29, 2024
Last May, the EPA issued a press release claiming that 10 pesticide products it tested contained no perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), contradicting a study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials by former EPA researcher Steven Lasee. PFAS are long-lasting ...

Watchdog Group Accuses EPA of Misconduct in Testing Pesticides for PFAS

by EcoWatch | May 29, 2024
According to allegations by a former research fellow for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), the EPA’s own documents indicate that false information may have been presented to the public regarding the ...

Industry Braces for PFAS Lawsuits That Could ‘Dwarf’ Those of Asbestos, Tobacco

by Common Dreams | May 29, 2024
A newly reported warning to the plastics industry and a complaint filed by an environmental nonprofit this week highlighted how companies and the U.S. government have endangered the public with “forever chemical” contamination. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ...
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