The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released new standards earlier this month aimed at reducing what’s been called “forever chemicals” or PFAS from drinking water.
These chemicals are used in many household products. They are used to make nonstick cookware, stain and water-repellent clothing and firefighting foam. But they also are linked to cancer, birth defects and liver damage.
Public water systems will need to regularly monitor, detect and remove PFAS from drinking water, according to the EPA’s new guidelines.
Since the 1940s PFAS have been used in industry and consumer products. They were dubbed “forever chemicals” because of the long chain of carbon atoms that make them form a molecular bond that doesn’t break down in nature. They can persist in water and soil indefinitely.
Tests have found PFAS in the blood of people and animals all over the world, according to the EPA. The agency said most people in the U.S. have been exposed to some PFAS by touching, drinking, eating, or breathing in materials containing the chemicals, including nonstick cookware and some cleaning products.
They have been found in public drinking water systems and private drinking water wells, at landfills, disposal sites, and hazardous waste sites. They are also found in fish caught from water contaminated by PFAS and dairy products from livestock exposed to PFAS.
The 2019 Hollywood film “Dark Waters” helped to raise the public’s awareness of the public health harm caused by exposure to PFAS chemicals. The motion picture dramatizes the real-life story of attorney Rob Bilott (played by Mark Ruffalo) and his fight against chemical giant DuPont. Bilott, initially a corporate lawyer, takes on a seemingly simple case for a West Virginia farmer plagued by mysterious livestock deaths. The farmer suspects the culprit is DuPont's nearby plant.
Bilott's investigation uncovers a shocking truth: decades of unregulated dumping of PFA and the harm it did to the nearby community. DuPont allegedly knew about the health risks associated with PFAS but concealed this information.
As Bilott delves deeper, he faces immense pressure from his firm, worried about jeopardizing their relationship with DuPont. He also witnesses the devastating health effects on the local community potentially linked to PFAS exposure. Bilott risks his career and health, becoming entangled in a years-long legal battle to expose the truth and hold DuPont accountable.
“Dark Waters” portrays the essence of Bilott's groundbreaking case, which ultimately led to a historic settlement and increased awareness of the dangers of PFAS. The movie's portrayal of DuPont's alleged actions sparked public outrage and put pressure on regulatory agencies to take action on PFAS.
DuPont's public response to Dark Waters distanced itself from the film's portrayal. The chemical company’s executives downplayed the film's accuracy, claiming it was "inspired by" events but not entirely factual.
While considering legal options, DuPont ultimately decided against suing the filmmakers.
Guests:
Rob Bilott is is an environmental attorney and the author of the book Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont which was the basis for the 2019 film Dark Waters and 2018 documentary The Devil We Know which documented his legal battles with Dupont. Billott filed lawsuits against DuPont on behalf of plaintiffs injured by waste dumped in rural communities in West Virginia.
Sharon Udasin is a staff reporter for The Hill. She earned a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award for the breadth of my environment and sustainability coverage. She is co-authoring a book on “forever chemicals” (PFAS).
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*This interview will be recorded on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
