Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Forever chemicals’ toxic legacy at Chicago’s airports — Chicago Sun-Times
Firefighting foam containing PFAS contaminated groundwater under Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports, a military investigation found.
Michigan
PFAS poisoning: Don’t eat deer from near Clark’s Marsh — MLive
PFAS advisories continue for venison, fish, and other wildlife from Iosco County pollution zone.
Pollution probe zeros in on Wolverine Worldwide headquarters — MLive
The couple, in their 70s, are Wolverine’s neighbors, but they haven’t been able to get a callback from the company lately after toxic PFAS chemicals were found in their well.
St. Joseph could receive part of PFAS settlement — WSJM
St. Joseph City Commissioners have hired three law firms to help the city secure its portion of a class action settlement in a lawsuit against the makers of PFAS.
Minnesota
Contaminated PFAS fish found in MN waterways — FOX 9
At least 148 lakes, rivers and streams in Minnesota were found to have had fish contaminated with PFAS.
Report: Wastewater is key contributor of ‘forever chemicals’ pollution — MPR News
The study’s authors say more regulation is needed to keep PFAS out of the wastewater stream, where they often end up back in the environment.
Environmental group calls on state to do more about forever chemicals in sludge used as fertilizer — Minnesota Reformer
Minnesota doesn’t regulate PFAS chemicals in sewage or require wastewater treatment plants to monitor the treated sewage for the chemicals.
PFAS Litigation Deadlines Rapidly Approaching — League of Minnesota Cities
This fall, many public drinking water systems in Minnesota received notice of class action settlements related to PFAS contamination alleged to be caused by 3M and DuPont products.
State officials are proposing to add 54 lakes, rivers and streams to the list of Minnesota waters considered impaired because of pollution, including a large lake on the border of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Ontario
Don’t listen to industry lobbyists, products made without ‘forever chemicals’ are possible — Toronto Star
We can’t rely on companies to do the right thing voluntarily — we need rules in Canada to prohibit the addition of PFAS to priority consumer safety.
Wisconsin
‘Forever chemicals’ detected in 71% of shallow wells surveyed by DNR — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A new study by the DNR and UW-Stevens Point found that a majority of shallow wells in Wisconsin could have PFAS contaminations.
EPA leader says agency is committed to finalizing PFAS standards for drinking water this year — Wisconsin Public Radio
The head of the EPA said federal regulators are committed to finalizing national drinking water standards for PFAS by the end of the year.
High levels of PFAS discovered in water consumed by 3M employees — Wausau Pilot & Review
Wausau Pilot & Review Tests show drinking water consumed by workers at 3M’s Greystone site in the Wausau area has PFAS.
Wisconsin Senate passes bill to address PFAS pollution — Wisconsin Public Radio
Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate advanced a bill to address PFAS contamination despite complaints that it lets polluters off the hook. Gov. Tony Evers and other Democrats criticize the bill for its limitations on the DNR’s authority to hold polluters accountable.
National
Toxic exposure concerns in the military: Major study links a PFAS chemical to testicular cancer — CBS Austin
A groundbreaking new government study found a link between PFAS and testicular cancer among servicemembers.
US military says national security depends on ‘forever chemicals’ — USA Today
The Department of Defense relies on hundreds, if not thousands, of weapons and products such as uniforms, batteries, and microelectronics that contain PFAS, a family of chemicals linked to serious health conditions.
US chemical industry likely spent $110m trying to thwart PFAS legislation, study finds — The Guardian
New research exposes the potential enormity of chemical companies’ lobbying arsenal amid a wave of proposed bills and regulations on PFAS.
FAA action on PFAS has our spirits flying higher — Environment America
In a win for safe drinking water, the FAA has given the OK for airports to use firefighting foam that does not contain PFAS.
How Cancer-Linked PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found Their Way Into Everyone — Bloomberg.com
In this episode of Bloomberg Investigates , we examine how substances known as PFAS found their way to every corner of the planet.
PFAS forever chemicals detected in water systems that serve 46 million — USA Today
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that PFAS chemicals exist at unsafe levels in the drinking water of roughly 46 million Americans.
Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:
PFAS News Roundup: How ‘forever chemicals’ affect the human body
PFAS News Roundup: Push to find ‘forever chemicals’ replacements in manufacturing
