Latest Chemicals Headlines
All the headlines from our Chemicals Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Watchdog: Chemical Safety Agency Impeded by Staff Shortage
Sep 13 2022 // The federal agency that investigates chemical accidents is hindered by a lack of staffing, leadership disputes and a backlog of investigations that threaten its ability to protect people and the environment, according to a...
Biden Administration to Declare ‘Forever Chemicals’ Hazardous Substances
Aug 30 2022 // The Biden administration said on Friday it will propose designating certain “forever chemicals” as hazardous substances under the nation’s Superfund program, in a bid to spark cleanup of countless sites...
Cocktail of Chemicals Contributed to Massive Fish Die-off on Oder River: German Official
Aug 24 2022 // Several substances seem to have contributed to the massive fish die-off in the Oder River that forms much of Germany’s border with Poland, a German official said Monday. Numerous theories have been floated about the...
Japanese Chemical Tanker Crashes Into Cargo Ship off Coast of Japan
Aug 22 2022 // A Japanese chemical tanker ship crashed into a cargo ship off the coast of southwestern Japan, the coast guard said Saturday. No one was injured among the six Japanese crew members aboard the tanker Ryoshinmaru and 14...
U.S.-Based 3M Faces More Costs After $581M Chemical Cleanup Pact in Belgium
Jul 8 2022 // 3M Co. still faces the prospect of additional costs to resolve contamination liabilities in Belgium after reaching an agreement to clean up and remediate PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals used in many consumer goods, a...
‘Forever Chemicals’ Pose Risk Even at Very Low Levels: EPA
Jun 20 2022 // The Environmental Protection Agency is warning that two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds found in drinking water are more dangerous than previously thought – and pose health risks even at levels so low they cannot...
Nebraska Chemical Plant Fire Prompts Evacuation
Jun 1 2022 // A three-alarm fire that raged through a Nebraska chemical plant was extinguished by Tuesday morning and nearby residents who were initially evacuated were allowed to return to their homes, authorities said. Thick smoke...
Massachusetts Joins States Suing Makers, Marketers of ‘Forever Chemicals’
May 27 2022 // Massachusetts has sued more than a dozen companies involved in the manufacture or marketing of so-called forever chemicals, alleging they knowingly polluted the environment and endangered public health, state Attorney...
Last Stockpile of Chemical Nerve Agent Destroyed in Kentucky
Apr 22 2022 // The last stockpiles of a deadly chemical agent in the U.S. have been safely eliminated, according to Kentucky officials in charge of destroying the Cold War-era weapons. The final M55 rocket containing VX nerve agent was...
Residents Given ‘All-Clear’ After Louisiana Chemical Leak
Apr 20 2022 // Residents near a chemical plant outside Baton Rouge have been given the “all-clear” after a chemical leak prompted orders for them to shelter in place, authorities said. A fire caused the chlorine leak late...
4 Companies Cited for Louisiana Chemical Plant Explosion
Mar 28 2022 // Federal labor regulators have cited four employers for safety violations related to an explosion that injured workers at a Louisiana chemical plant. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health...
Nevada Casino to Pay $8M For Serving Chemicals Instead of Beer
Mar 28 2022 // A jury in Las Vegas has awarded $8 million to a middle school special education teacher who sued after being permanently injured when he was served cleaning solvents instead of tap beer at a casino bar. Lon Enwright, 38,...
Chemical Analysis Shows Effects of Wildfire Smoke on Grapes and Wines in Western U.S.
Mar 16 2022 // NEWSWISE – As wildfire season in the West grows in length and severity, it is taking a toll on the wine industry through the effects of wildfire smoke on the quality of wine grapes. Volatile compounds in the smoke from...
Chevron Phillips Chemical Agrees to Reduce Air Pollution at 3 Texas Plants
Mar 9 2022 // Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP has agreed to make upgrades and perform compliance measures estimated to cost $118 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Clean Air Act and state air pollution control laws...
Report: Nearly a Third of U.S. Hazardous Chemicals Facilities Exposed to Climate Change Dangers
Mar 3 2022 // A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stating that climate change is leading to increasingly irreversible impacts, with a narrowing window to adapt to it, is garnering a lot of reaction. The IPCC...
Maine Farmers Want Ban on ‘Forever Chemical’ Sludge in Fields
Mar 3 2022 // Maine farmers want lawmakers to pass a bill banning fertilizer and compost containing wastewater sludge that’s been linked to toxic industrial compounds associated with serious health conditions. Sometimes called...
Delaware Residents Near Guard Base Report High Levels of ‘Forever Chemicals’
Feb 23 2022 // Residents living near an Air National Guard base in northern Delaware have average blood levels of certain toxic manmade chemicals that are significantly higher than the national average, according to a report by federal...
Maine Eyes Additional Funding to Fight ‘Forever Chemicals’
Feb 22 2022 // Maine lawmakers are going to consider more funding to fight “forever chemicals” as more farms discover contamination. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — known as PFAS — have been found in...
Massachusetts Firefighters With Cancer Sue Companies Over ‘Forever Chemicals’
Feb 18 2022 // Fifteen retired and active-duty firefighters from Massachusetts say in a federal lawsuit filed against two dozen companies that so-called forever chemicals in their gear and in firefighting foam manufactured by the...
Michigan Farm’s Beef Found to Contain Toxic Chemicals
Feb 1 2022 // Beef produced at a small Michigan farm was found to contain toxic “forever chemicals” after the cattle were fed crops grown with fertilizer made from contaminated wastewater biosolids, state officials said Jan....
