According to the Los Angeles Times, when confronted with criticism about the number of pollution lawsuits that EPA has filed during his tenure, EPA's Acting Enforcement Chief Tom Skinner asserted that EPA is actively pursuing settlements with polluters rather than lawsuits to punish violations of environmental laws.

A study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology shows that farmed salmon accumulates higher levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) a chemical flame retardant used in furniture and electrical equipment. Some types of flame retardants have been banned in Europe and California because of health concerns.

The Baltimore Sun recently reported the toxic gasoline additive MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) has been found leaking into drinking water in nearby county wells, adding Harford County's Fallston area to the growing list of communities whose water supplies have been polluted by MTBE. More than 20 families are suing Exxon Mobil Corp. over the foul-smelling toxin which leaked into wells serving 84 homes, allegedly from an underground storage tank at a nearby Exxon station.

There's increasing concern about the risks of chemicals in personal care products. The Independent reports that the growing use of cosmetics and toiletries, which contain many known toxic or untested chemicals, may be harming children who will develop cancer and fertility problems as adults.

In the first nationwide tests for brominated fire retardants in house dust, EWG found unexpectedly high levels of these neurotoxic chemicals in every home sampled.

A new study presented at a meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicologists and Chemists links the Teflon chemical C8 [also known as PFOA] to elevated cancer rates. Researchers found higher levels of prostate cancer in men and cervical and uterine cancer in women exposed to C8 than in the general population.

A National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel today recommended limits on chemical industry testing of pesticides and toxic chemicals on human subjects.

Dozens of provisions in the GOP energy bill agreement pending in Congress make it a historic threat to the environment, according to Environmental Working Group (EWG) President Ken Cook.

PFOA is used to make PTFE, the Teflon in pans. However, scientific evidence points to fluorotelomers as the main source of the PFOA and other perfluorinated chemicals in Americans' blood. That fluorotelomers on coated paper food packaging break down into PFOA and other chemicals is a separate problem from PTFE and cookware. This source of PFOA is one that DuPont cannot control by reducing emissions or impurities in its products.