PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
- A 3M Plant in Illinois Was The Country’s Worst Emitter of a Climate-Killing ‘Immortal’ Chemical in 2021 — Inside Climate News
The Illinois attorney general has sued 3M for discharging PFAS into groundwater and the Mississippi River.
Michigan
- Peters and Dingell bill to protect firefighters from hazardous PFAS chemicals becomes law — Press and Guide
Gary Peters and Debbie Dingell bill to help protect the health and safety of firefighters and emergency responders from PFAS exposure has been signed into law.
- EGLE appeals judge’s rejection of new PFAS water standards — Detroit Free Press
Judge Brock Swartzle allowed PFAS water regulations to remain in effect while EGLE and chemical giant 3M Corp. exhaust appeals.
- EPA’s new PFAS standards could have implications for Michigan — Grand Haven Tribune
As 2023 begins, the threat of PFAS contamination continues to be a point of concern in Michigan and beyond.
- Editorial: PFAS and Camp Grayling — Traverse City Record-Eagle
The military first discovered PFAS contamination in 2016 at Camp Grayling where soldiers for decades had used PFAS-containing firefighting foam during training exercises.
New York
- NY, Calif. Poised to Ban PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ — The Food Institute
New York and California are the first of more than a dozen states banning or considering bans on PFAS or ‘forever chemicals.’
- Several New Requirements Taking Effect for 2023 to Protect Consumers from Harmful Chemicals — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Statewide Laws will limit use of PFAS and chemicals in a variety of consumer products. New laws for household cleaning, personal care, cosmetics, food packaging, and children’s products will help prevent public exposure.
- New NY state law bans PFAS in clothing — WNYT.com
Environmental advocates are applauding a new bill signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul that bans PFAS in clothing.
Wisconsin
- Forever chemicals’ are in their drinking water. So why are some towns slow to act? — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
PFAS are widely used in consumer products, such as non-stick pots and pans and waterproof clothing but advocates question why so many communities are not doing anything to address the issue.
- Despite 3M’s phase-out, the global problem of cleaning up PFAS remains — Wisconsin Watch
3M announced in December that it’s phasing out the PFAS family of harmful chemicals, but they’re not going away.
- ‘Forever chemicals’ from Marinette firefighting foam plant are in Lake Michigan, UW researchers find — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
University of Wisconsin researchers say they detected a plume of PFAS compounds in Green Bay and traced it to the Tyco facility in Marinette that manufactures firefighting foam.
National
A new lawsuit alleges Inhance failed to follow EPA rules involving dangerous PFAS chemicals and asks a judge to halt production.
- Federal PFAS Drinking Water Standards: 2023 Is the Year — National Law Review
EPA sends federal PFAS drinking water standards to White House Office of Management and Budget OMB for consideration and approval or rejection.
Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:
PFAS News Roundup: New regulations approved, new solutions explored
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