Latest Chemicals Headlines

All the headlines from our Chemicals Topic Page, ordered by recency.

District of Columbia Sues Manufacturers for ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination

Jul 19 2023 // District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb has filed a lawsuit against more than 25 chemical companies for manufacturing, marketing, distributing, and selling products containing dangerous PFAS chemicals, which...

Fire Causes Explosions at Louisiana Chemical Plant

Jul 17 2023 // PLAQUEMINE, La. (AP) __ A fire at a Louisiana chemical plant triggered explosions that shook homes several miles away and sent flames and smoke billowing into the air, prompting emergency officials to urge a few hundred...

2019 Houston Chemical Fire Could Have Been Prevented, Federal Investigation Finds

Jul 10 2023 // A massive Houston-area chemical fire that burned for three days in 2019 could have been prevented if proper procedures were in place at the chemical storage facility run by the Intercontinental Terminals Co., according to...

New Jersey Announces $393M Settlement With Manufacturer Over Forever Chemicals

Jun 29 2023 // Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, Inc., which bills itself as the industry leader in specialty polymers, has agreed to a settlement with New Jersey officials over cleanup and compensation for the discharge of so-called...

3M Reaches Tentative $10.3B Deal Over ‘Forever Chemicals’ Claims

Jun 23 2023 // 3M Co has reached a $10.3 billion settlement with a host of U.S. public water systems to resolve water pollution claims tied to “forever chemicals,” the chemical company announced on Thursday. The company said...

New Mexico Sues Manufacturers of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Amid Health Concerns

Jun 9 2023 // New Mexico’s attorney general and its Environment Department filed suit against the manufacturers of so-called “forever chemicals,” commonly referred to as PFAS, seeking monetary damages to defray the...

3M Granted Delay in ‘Forever Chemicals’ Trial to Negotiate Settlement

Jun 5 2023 // The judge overseeing 4,000 lawsuits involving 3M Co. “forever chemicals” agreed to delay the first trial for three weeks so the company can work out a settlement over pollution claims by water providers. US...

3M Is in at Least $10 Billion Forever-Chemicals Pollution Settlement

Jun 2 2023 // Update: 3M Granted Delay in ‘Forever Chemicals’ Trial to Negotiate Settlement 3M Co. struck a tentative settlement of at least $10 billion over water pollution claims tied to “forever chemicals,”...

Chemical Makers to Set Aside $1.19B to Settle PFAS-Related Claims in U.S.

Jun 2 2023 // Chemours Co., DuPont de Nemours Inc and Corteva Inc. on Friday said they had reached an agreement in principle to settle claims that they contaminated U.S. public water systems with toxic “forever chemicals”...

Singapore Detains Record Number of Oil, Chemical Tankers as Dark Fleet Grows

Jun 1 2023 // Singapore’s detentions of oil and chemicals tankers have surged since early last year, highlighting growing concerns over the environmental and safety impact of an expanding fleet of aging vessels plying major...

Maryland AG Sues 3M, DuPont, Other Manufacturers Over ‘Forever Chemicals’

May 31 2023 // Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has filed two lawsuits seeking to hold multiple chemical manufacturers accountable for contamination of the state’s natural resources and harm to public health from their...

Eastman Chemical Resins to Pay $2.4M for Environmental Violations in Pennsylvania

May 26 2023 // Eastman Chemical Resins Inc. will pay a $2.4 million penalty for environmental violations at the sprawling 56-acre manufacturing facility in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, that is now owned and operated by Synthomer...

Rhode Island AG Sues Manufacturers of Forever Chemicals

May 26 2023 // Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha yesterday filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, for allegedly causing significant harm to the...

Chemicals Company Agrees to $75K Settlement Over Hazardous Pollutants at Louisiana Plant

May 16 2023 // The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a settlement with Evonik Corporation that will reduce emissions of ethylene oxide and other hazardous air pollutants by 5.6 tons per year from a facility in...

No Chemicals Aboard 9 Freight Railcars That Derailed in Pennsylvania

May 12 2023 // Nine railcars from a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in Pennsylvania, with no hazardous chemicals on board and no reported injuries, fire department and company officials said. The derailment happened late...

Minnesota on Verge of Banning Forever Chemicals

May 11 2023 // ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota is on the verge of banning non-essential uses of “forever chemicals.” And lawmakers say they are naming the legislation after a woman who spent the last months of her life...

Officials Waiting for Insurance Adjusters at Site of Chemical Plant Explosion

May 9 2023 // Officials from pharmaceutical manufacturer Seqens and the city of Newburyport, Massachusetts are waiting on insurance adjusters to show before beginning demolition and cleanup at the Seqens facility where a worker was...

One Worker Missing After Explosion at Massachusetts Chemical Plant

May 4 2023 // One worker is missing and the building is severely damaged after an early morning explosion at a pharmaceutical chemical plant in a business park in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Five workers were in the building at the time...

Shelter-in-Place Order Lifted After Georgia Chemical Plant Fire Extinguished

Apr 18 2023 // Emergency crews extinguished a fire at a Georgia chemical plant shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, allowing officials to lift a shelter-in-place order issued in the afternoon when the fire broke out for the second time in the...

States Consider Ban on Cosmetics With ‘Forever Chemicals’

Apr 11 2023 // A growing number of state legislatures are considering bans on cosmetics and other consumer products that contain a group of synthetic, potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS. In Vermont, the state Senate gave final...