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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 16 June 2022
Continued from Front toxic chemicals."
Several states have set their The American Chemistry
own drinking water limits to Council, which represents
address PFAS contamina- major chemical compa-
tion that are far tougher nies, said in a statement
than the federal guidance. that while it supports devel-
The toxic industrial com- opment of drinking water
pounds are associated standards for PFAS based
with serious health condi- on the best available sci-
tions, including cancer and ence, the EPA's announce-
reduced birth weight. ment "reflects a failure of
"People on the front-lines of the agency to follow its
PFAS contamination have accepted practice for en-
suffered for far too long," suring the scientific integ-
EPA Administrator Michael rity of its process." While the
Regan said in a statement. advisories are non-binding,
"That's why EPA is taking ag- "they will have sweeping im-
gressive action as part of a plications for policies at the
whole-of-government ap- state and federal levels,''
proach to prevent these the group said. "These new
chemicals from entering levels cannot be achieved
the environment and to with existing treatment
help protect concerned technology and, in fact,
families from this pervasive The sun sets behind the control tower of the former Loring Air Force Base, Saturday, July 18, 2020, are below levels that can
challenge." in Limestone, Maine. be reliably detected using
PFAS is short for per- and Associated Press existing EPA methods."
polyfluoroalkyl substances, The Chemours Co., a Du-
which are used in nonstick tion against the chemicals advisories provide techni- "EPA had the courage to Pont spinoff that uses so-
frying pans, water-repellent when they reach levels cal information that feder- follow the science. This is a called GenX chemicals
sports gear, stain-resistant that can be measured — al, state and local agencies step in the right direction,'' to produce high-perfor-
rugs, cosmetics and count- currently about four parts can use to inform actions said Stel Bailey, co-facilita- mance fluoropolymers
less other consumer prod- per trillion, a senior adminis- to address PFAS in drink- tor of National PFAS Con- used in semiconductors,
ucts. The chemical bonds tration official told reporters ing water, including water tamination Coalition. mobile phones, hospital
are so strong that they don't Tuesday night. quality monitoring, use of "The science is clear: These ventilators and other prod-
degrade or do so only slow- The EPA said it expects to filters and other technolo- chemicals are shocking- ucts, called the EPA's an-
ly in the environment and propose national drinking gies that reduce PFAS and ly toxic at extremely low nouncement "fundamen-
remain in a person's blood- water regulations for PFOA strategies to reduce expo- doses,'' added Erik Olson, tally flawed.''
stream indefinitely. and PFOS later this year, sure to the substances. senior strategic director EPA "disregarded relevant
The revised health guide- with a final rule expected Environmental and public for health and food at the data and issued a health
lines are based on new sci- in 2023. health groups hailed the Natural Resources Defense advisory contrary to the
ence and consider lifetime In a related development, announcement as a good Council. He called on the agency's own standards
exposure to the chemicals, the EPA said that for the first first step. Advocates have EPA to regulate all PFAS and this administration's
the EPA said. Officials are time it is issuing final health long urged action on PFAS chemicals "with enforce- commitment to scientific
no longer confident that advisories for two chemi- after thousands of commu- able standards as a single integrity,'' Chemours said in
PFAS levels allowed under cals that are considered re- nities detected PFAS chem- class of chemicals." a statement. The company
the 2016 guidelines "do not placements for PFOA and icals in their water. PFAS Melanie Benesh, legisla- is "already using state-of-
have adverse health im- PFOS. One group is known chemicals have been con- tive attorney for the Envi- the-art technologies at our
pacts,'' an EPA spokesman as GenX chemicals, while firmed at nearly 400 military ronmental Working Group, sites to abate emissions and
said. the other is known as PFBS. installations and at least said the EPA's announce- remediate historical releas-
While the new guidelines Health advisories for GenX 200 million Americans are ment "should set off alarm es'' Chemours said, adding
set acceptable risk below chemicals were set at 10 drinking water contaminat- bells for consumers and that officials are evaluating
levels that can currently parts per trillion, while PFBS ed with PFAS, according to regulators" alike. She urged next steps, "including po-
be measured, as a prac- was set at 2,000 parts per the Environmental Working the EPA to "move much tential legal action, to ad-
tical matter EPA recom- trillion. Group, a research and ad- faster to dramatically re- dress the EPA's scientifically
mends that utilities take ac- The agency said the new vocacy organization. duce exposures to these unsound action.''q

U.S. abortions rise: 1 in 5 pregnancies

terminated in 2020

By CARLA K. JOHNSON abortion figures reached a need and "underscores
The number and rate of U.S. their lowest point since the just how devastating a Su-
abortions increased from 1973 U.S. Supreme Court preme Court decision is
2017 to 2020 after a long ruling that legalized the going to be for access to
decline, according to fig- procedure nationwide. an absolutely vital service,"
ures released Wednesday. About one in five pregnan- said Sara Rosenbaum, a
The report from the Guttm- cies ended in abortion in George Washington Uni-
acher Institute, a research 2020, according to the re- versity health law and pol-
group that supports abor- port, which comes as the icy professor.
tion rights, counted more Supreme Court appears Texas saw a 2% decrease
A sign indicating a "Medical Facility Quiet Zone" is displayed than 930,000 abortions in ready to overturn that de- between 2019 and 2020,
outside the Jackson Women's Health Organization clinic in the U.S. in 2020. That's up cision. coinciding with pandemic-
Jackson, Miss., the state's only state licensed abortion facility,
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. from about 862,000 abor- The number of women ob- related abortion restrictions
Associated Press tions in 2017, when national taining abortions illustrates in the state.q