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A petition for emergency action from EPA on nitrate pollution in Minnesota; EPA orders Chemours to address PFAS near 'Dark Waters' town.
Group seeks emergency action from EPA on nitrate pollution in Minnesota
A coalition of environmental groups is petitioning federal regulators to take emergency action to protect residents of southeastern Minnesota from “imminent and substantial endangerment” to their health from the contamination of drinking water sources by a pollutant linked to cancers and other health problems.
Nitrate contamination in the region “is a widespread issue that has stubbornly persisted through decades as state officials continuously fail to effectively address the problem,” the petition states.
The effort echoes pleas from public and environmental health advocates around the country over the harmful impacts of nitrate contamination, which mainly originates in agricultural runoff. Nitrate contamination of drinking water has been linked to “blue baby syndrome,” or methemoglobinemia (a sometimes-fatal condition affecting infants), as well as certain cancers, and thyroid disease, even in studies where contamination was below legal limits.
High levels of nitrate in water can be a result of runoff or leakage from fertilized farm fields, landfills, animal manure, and other sources.
The petition, led by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, calls on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use its powers under the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure safe drinking water for Minnesota residents, calling nitrate pollution a “too-long ignored health crisis.” Among other steps, the groups want the EPA to block the development of new large animal feeding operations, which are considered significant contributors to nitrate pollution because of the large amounts of animal manure generated.
“We need help,” said Jeff Broberg, director of the Minnesota Well Owners Organization whose own well water is contaminated with nitrates. “Our drinking water quality keeps getting worse.”
Environmental groups argued in the petition that the geology of southeastern Minnesota — specifically, the presence of a highly-porous type of rock called karst — makes the state especially susceptible to nitrate pollution. Due to the karst bedrock, polluted water from agricultural operations that leaches into the ground is not well-filtered, and contaminated surface water can easily become groundwater pollution, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (Read the rest of the story.)
EPA orders Chemours to address toxic PFAS near ‘Dark Waters’ town
In the first-ever such enforcement action, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered the chemical company Chemours to curb pollution from toxic chemicals its West Virginia plant dumps into the Ohio River.
While per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) discharged by the Washington Works facility have long plagued the nearby town of Parkersburg, the EPA said this is the first time it is leveraging the Clean Water Act to hold a company accountable for contaminating its surroundings with these toxic chemicals
“This order demonstrates that EPA will take action to safeguard public health and the environment from these dangerous contaminants,” EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz said in a press release.
PFAS are a large class of human-made compounds often called “forever chemicals” that break down slowly in the environment and build up in the body over time. Scientific evidence suggests PFAS are linked to risks for a range of cancers, birth defects, and other serious health problems. These dangerous chemicals have become widespread across the US, including in water sources.
Chemours is a spin-off of the chemical company DuPont, which has previously been found liable for cancer incidences tied to polluted the local water in Parkersburg. Attorney Rob Bilott famously exposed DuPont for sickening the community, a story depicted in the 2019 film ‘Dark Waters.’
Bilott is currently leading an ongoing nationwide class action suit against PFAS manufacturers on behalf of people across the US. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood.
The move by the EPA is an “excellent step,” said John Rumpler, clean water program director for the advocacy group Environment America. “But even more steps will be needed and we hope EPA takes them soon,” said Rumpler. “It is long past time for companies like Chemours to be held accountable under the Clean Water Act for releasing these toxic substances into our rivers, lakes and streams.” (Read the rest of the story.)