January 3, 2019
For decades, the United States Air Force used a toxic firefighting foam that contaminated water near bases and exposed communities to chemicals linked to cancer and a variety of other health problems.
Commercial airports are currently required to follow standards outlined in military specifications, which call for fluorinated foams to be used.
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October 2, 2018
There are more than 4,000 different chemicals in this family, including two common ones called “PFOA” and “PFOS.” PFAS chemicals are known for their durability – they are incredibly resistant to most elements, which is why they’ve been used in materials ranging from waterproof shoes to firefighting foam to non-stick pots and pans since the 1950s.…
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October 2, 2018
A provision in legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration allow airports to use firefighting foams that don’t contain fluorinated chemicals.
Commercial airports are currently required to follow standards outlined in military specifications, which call for fluorinated foams to be used.
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August 16, 2018
It’s been about three weeks since Tammy Cooper last drank water from her tap. That’s when she saw a warning on Facebook for residents of her small Western Michigan town to stop drinking the water.
In Michigan, water main breaks aren’t unusual, although they’re more common in winter. It didn’t immediately strike Cooper as out of the ordinary to not be able to drink the water.…
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We’ve heard the stories about lead poisoning in Flint, Michigan. The situation is appalling, infuriating, heartbreaking. But, as NY Times columnist Nick Kristof writes in Are You a Toxic Waste Disposal Site?,“many parts of America have even higher rates of child lead poisoning than Flint.” And lead is only one of the industrial chemicals found in drinking water. …
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