"EPA is concerned that these perfluorinated degradation products may be released to the environment from incomplete incineration of the PMN substances at low temperatures," the agency wrote in a heavily redacted consent order. They also highlighted potential problems with disposal of the chemicals. At the time, regulators worried that the chemicals used could break down into compounds similar to PFOA - a type of PFAS that is no longer manufactured in the United States due to concerns about its health implications, including causing cancer. The revelations further public awareness about the extent of PFAS use at a time when the chemicals are facing fire from lawmakers and regulators.Īccording to the documents released to the advocacy group under FOIA, EPA reviewed the three proposed chemicals in 2010. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, recent findings show they are also likely in common plastic packaging, bringing them into close contact with food. PFAS (which number in the thousands) are prized for their grease- and water-resistant properties, and are widely used in everything from household items to industrial firefighting foam. "Considering the terrible history of pollution associated with PFAS, EPA and state governments need to move quickly to ensure that the public knows where these chemicals have been used and is protected from their impacts." "The evidence that people could be unknowingly exposed to these extremely toxic chemicals through oil and gas operations is disturbing," report author Dusty Horwitt said in a statement. Those activities occurred in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. are among companies that have used either PFAS or chemicals that can degrade into PFAS in fracking at more than 1,200 wells between 20, according to industry records. commerce, and this line of defense is struggling to maintain its integrity,” the whistle-blowers said in their disclosure, which was released by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a Maryland-based nonprofit group.A report out today examines the Obama EPA’s approval of three PFAS chemicals for use in oil and gas production, despite concerns among agency staff and indicators that the agency may have relied on "dubious assumptions."Įxxon Mobil Corp. scientists evaluating new chemicals “are the last line of defense between harmful - even deadly - chemicals and their introduction into U.S. office in charge of reviewing toxic chemicals tampered with the assessments of dozens of chemicals to make them appear safer. In recent days, whistle-blowers have alleged in the Intercept that the E.P.A. in 2011 approved the use of these chemicals, used to ease the flow of oil from the ground, despite the agency’s own grave concerns about their toxicity, according to the documents, which were reviewed by The New York Times. “For much of the past decade, oil companies engaged in drilling and fracking have been allowed to pump into the ground chemicals that, over time, can break down into toxic substances known as PFAS - a class of long-lasting compounds known to pose a threat to people and wildlife - according to internal documents from the Environmental Protection Agency.
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