Latest Chemicals Headlines
All the headlines from our Chemicals Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Study Finds Higher Levels of Dangerous Chemical Than Expected in SE Louisiana
Jun 13 2024 // NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Researchers using high-tech air monitoring equipment rolled through an industrialized stretch of southeast Louisiana in mobile labs and found levels of a carcinogen in concentrations as much as 20...
NC Bill to Make Manufacturers Pay for ‘Forever Chemicals’ Advances in House
Jun 13 2024 // RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s top environmental regulator could order manufacturers of “forever chemicals” to help pay for water system cleanup upgrades whenever they are found responsible for...
Maine’s Biggest Water District Sues 18 Manufacturers Over Forever Chemicals
Jun 10 2024 // The biggest water district in Maine is suing manufacturers of so-called forever chemicals in the hopes of recouping costs of monitoring and treating polluted wastewater. The Portland Water District lawsuit comes as the...
Nicotine-Like Chemicals in US Vapes May Be More Potent Than Nicotine, FDA Says
May 29 2024 // Nicotine alternatives used in vapes being launched in the U.S. and abroad, such as 6-methyl nicotine, may be more potent and addictive than nicotine itself, though the scientific data remains incomplete, according to the...
BASF to Pay $316 million to Settle PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Lawsuit
May 21 2024 // German chemical company BASF said on Tuesday it reached a $316.5 million settlement with some U.S. public water systems that claimed toxic “forever chemicals” in firefighting foam made by the company...
EU Commission Eyeing Exemptions for ‘Forever Chemicals’ Ban, Letter Shows
May 9 2024 // The European Commission is planning to allow exemptions from a proposed ban on substances known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” to protect key industries, a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed. In the...
EPA Designates PFAS Chemicals as Superfund Hazardous Substances
Apr 22 2024 // The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday designated a pair of widely used industrial chemicals as hazardous substances under the country’s Superfund program, accelerating a crackdown on toxic compounds...
‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in Water Sources Around New Mexico, Studies Find
Apr 17 2024 // So-called forever chemicals have been found in water sources across New Mexico, according to recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and state environment officials. The federal agency detailed the findings last week,...
Several Texas Water Systems Exceed Federal Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’
Apr 16 2024 // In Texas, 49 public water utility systems have reported surpassing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first-ever limits for five “forever chemicals” in drinking water, according to data submitted...
Texas Chemical Plant to Pay $6.6M Over Injuries From 2019 Fire
Apr 5 2024 // Intercontinental Terminals Company LLC (ITC) has agreed to pay over $6.6 million to federal and state natural resource trustees to resolve claims for natural resource damages resulting from a 2019 fire at ITC’s Deer...
Federal Agency Investigating Toxic Chemical Releases at 2 Louisiana Facilities
Apr 5 2024 // The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that the agency has launched investigations into toxic chemical releases at two facilities in Louisiana during 2023: the release of hydrogen fluoride...
Federal Agency Investigating Toxic Chemical Releases at 2 Louisiana Facilities
Apr 5 2024 // The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that the agency has launched investigations into toxic chemical releases at two facilities in Louisiana during 2023. The agency is investing the...
Court Approves 3M Settlement Over ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Public Water Systems
Apr 3 2024 // Chemical manufacturer 3M will begin payments starting in the third quarter to many U.S. public drinking water systems as part of a multi-billion-dollar settlement over contamination with potentially harmful compounds used...
Chemicals in Plastics Far More Numerous Than Previous Estimates, Report Says
Mar 14 2024 // At least 3,000 more chemicals are in plastics — from food packaging to toys to medical devices — than previously estimated by environment agencies, a report published on Thursday found, raising questions over pollution...
Chemical Linked to Cancer Found in Acne Creams Including Proactiv, Clearasil
Mar 7 2024 // Hand sanitizers were tainted by benzene. Sunscreens and dry shampoos too. Now acne treatments are joining the list of widely used consumer products found to contain high levels of the chemical linked to cancer. Acne...
Sierra Club Testing Finds High Levels of ‘Forever’ Chemicals in Water in NE Tennessee
Mar 1 2024 // High levels of “forever chemicals,” including poly-fluoroalkyl, or PFAS compounds, have been found in northeastern Tennessee rivers and drinking water supplies, likely from wastewater sludge that is spread on...
Fast Trains, Toxic Chemicals: Why Rail Safety Is Still a Problem
Feb 2 2024 // In the year since the derailment of a Norfolk Southern Inc. train brought national attention to US railroad safety, little has changed. Trains are still rolling through East Palestine, Ohio, at 50 miles per hour — the...
Top European Leaders Test Positive for Cancerous ‘Forever Chemicals’
Feb 1 2024 // Chemicals linked to severe health issues including cancer, infertility, birth defects and immune system disruptions are everywhere and no one is safe from them — not even top politicians, according to a campaign...
Connecticut Sues 28 Firms for Alleged Contamination by ‘Forever Chemicals’
Jan 31 2024 // The state of Connecticut is suing 28 chemical manufacturers that it alleges are responsible for “knowingly contaminating” the state’s waters and natural resources and harming public health with toxic PFAS...
EPA Blocks Access to Louisiana Apartment Complex Due to Cancer-Causing Chemicals
Jan 29 2024 // BENTON, La. (AP) — After cancer-causing chemicals were found in the soil at a north Louisiana apartment complex, the Environmental Protection Agency has blocked access to part of the property and will move to abate the...
