Water

One of the largest U.S. chemical companies, which for decades knowingly poisoned its own workers and drinking water supplies near its factories with the toxic fluorinated chemicals called PFAS, is fighting one state’s efforts to protect the public from these dangerous compounds.

An order issued today by a federal judge allows a class action case against 3M, DowDuPont, Chemours and six other companies to proceed when he denied every motion to dismiss the case brought by these chemical corporations responsible for producing toxic fluorinated chemicals called PFAS.

Environmental Working Group urges the California State Water Resources Control Board to address per- and polyfluorinated substances, or PFAS, in drinking water as a class.

Drinking water sources for 74 community water systems serving 7.5 million Californians are contaminated with the highly toxic fluorinated chemicals called PFAS, according to an Environmental Working Group review of the latest state data.

Lead-contaminated water is not unique to Flint, Mich., or Newark, N.J., where excessively high levels of lead contaminate drinking water. Millions of Americans may unknowingly be drinking water contaminated with lead, either because of old lead pipes or from faucets and other plumbing fixtures with high levels of lead. Lead is especially dangerous for children, and its devastating harm can last a lifetime.  

The toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS are a class of environmentally persistent manmade chemicals that are used as water, grease and stain repellents in clothing and furniture, in industrial firefighting foam, and in the production of nonstick cookware.

Governors from 15 states, including many facing mounting contamination of drinking water sources from toxic perfluorinated chemicals, or PFAS, are urging Congressional leaders to include provisions in a must-pass defense spending bill that would require the federal government to monitor and clean up the pollution.

This year’s defense spending bill – the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA – now being considered by Congress, is an unprecedented chance to regulate the toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS, which have contaminated hundreds of public water systems nationwide.

Drinking water supplies at two Washington state Army installations are contaminated with extremely high levels of the toxic fluorinated chemicals called PFAS, according to Department of Defense data obtained by EWG under the Freedom of Information Act.