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How to stop ‘forever chemicals’ from lasting, well, forever
The Christian Science Monitor
April 18, 2024 – Long before the Environmental Protection Agency announced new rules this month about “forever chemicals” in drinking water, officials in the state of Vermont knew there was a problem.
EPA sets new lower limits for several ‘forever chemicals’
Maine Public
April 11, 2024 – The US Environmental Protection Agency for the first time set limits on PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in drinking water.
‘Huge win for public health’: Maine stakeholders react to federal PFAS rule
News Center Maine
April 11, 2024 – The US Environmental Protection Agency for the first time set limits on PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in drinking water.
Is it true that laundry detergent pods and sheets are toxic plastic?
Ecocult
April 11, 2024 – In February, a New York City council member introduced a bill that would ban laundry and dish detergent pods.
New federal limits on forever chemicals in drinking water are stricter than Maine’s
Yahoo! News
April 11, 2024 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adopted the first-ever federal drinking water standard for forever chemicals on Wednesday, setting limits for harmful compounds known as PFAS that are much lower than the temporary standard Maine adopted three years ago.
EPA finalizes first-ever national limits on ‘forever chemicals’ In drinking water
Forbes
April 10, 2024 – The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule Wednesday establishing limits on PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in the nation’s drinking water, the first-ever standard addressing the toxic substances in water and the latest move in a series of actions aimed at reducing the public’s exposure to harmful chemicals.
New federal limits on forever chemicals in drinking water are stricter than Maine’s
Portland Press Herald
April 10, 2024 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adopted the first-ever federal drinking water standard for forever chemicals on Wednesday, setting limits for harmful compounds known as PFAS that are much lower than the temporary standard Maine adopted three years ago.
What they’re saying about the EPA’s regulation of ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
EWG
April 10, 2024 – Here are excerpts from the statements of environmental, health and community advocacy leaders and organizations about the EPA announcement, which marks historic progress addressing PFAS.
What new limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water mean for Maine
Mother Jones
April 10, 2024 – Dostie Farm, an organic dairy in Fairfield, Maine, was thriving until one day in October 2020 when owner Egide Dostie Jr. got a call from Stonyfield, his exclusive buyer.
How new federal drinking water standards for PFAS will affect Mainers
WABI 5
April 10, 2024 – One Maine nonprofit is applauding an announcement Wednesday from the Biden-Harris administration issuing a first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS.
What new limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water mean for Maine
Bangor Daily News
April 10, 2024 – Maine will need to cut its maximum allowable level of certain “forever chemicals” in drinking water fivefold to meet the first national, enforceable drinking water standard announced Wednesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is aimed at protecting communities.
PFAS destruction solutions advance as EPA drinking water standard looms
Waste Dive
April 8, 2024 – Figuring out how to manage PFAS contamination has vexed government officials and industry professionals for years, but pending federal regulations and a wave of technology could start a new era of action against these forever chemicals.
Hooking a Maine fish is one thing, but is it safe to eat?
Portland Press Herald
April 8, 2024 –Maine anglers can’t be sure the fish they hope to hook are safe to eat because the overwhelming majority of the state’s 6,000 lakes and ponds and 32,000 miles of rivers haven’t been tested for potentially harmful “forever chemicals.”
Maine’s PFAS law should not be weakened
Bangor Daily News
April 1, 2024 – It started with a broken-down refrigerator. Our 20-year-old fridge was an energy hog that no longer kept our food cold enough. It was time to hit the big-box retailers.
The Cool Down
March 27, 2024 – A new study published in Nature Communications reveals that humans may be caught in a self-inflicted loop that is costing us money and exacerbating the dangerous rise of global temperatures.
Lawmakers want to rewrite timeline for Maine’s PFAS product sales ban
Portland Press Herald
March 21, 2024 – Lawmakers on Thursday endorsed a plan to rewrite Maine’s timeline for rolling out bans on the sale of products made with forever chemicals, speeding up the sales prohibition on certain consumer products while delaying or waiving bans on high-end manufacturing products.
Portland Press Herald
March 7, 2024 – Defend Our Health has hired two new employees.
Maine lawmakers weigh changes to groundbreaking PFAS law
News Center Maine
March 7, 2024 – Maine lawmakers are considering an amendment to a first-in-the-nation law that requires companies to report ‘forever chemicals’ in products in Maine.
Bangor Daily News
March 6, 2024 – BIC razors and 3M Scotch restickable mounting squares are among the common household products containing PFAS chemicals that are sold in Maine, according to an analysis of industry reports made public on Tuesday.
Drinking plastic with Mike Belliveau
Grassroots: The Environmental News Show
February 27, 2024 – This week on Grassroots Patti and Doug talk with Mike Belliveau of non-profit Defend Our Health about what scientists are finding in every plastic bottle.
Is this the end of American polyester?
Heatmap News
February 21, 2024 – There are an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 chemicals used commercially today worldwide, and the vast majority of them haven’t been tested for human safety.
Letter: Maine must fully fund and implement a PFAS ban
Bangor Daily News
January 31, 2024 – Maine should be proud to have passed the first-in-the-nation law in 2021 that will ban thousands of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS from all products from cosmetics to floor wax to pizza boxes by 2030 except where unavoidable.
Business group urging lawmaker to scrap PFAS reporting deadline
Maine Public
January 29, 2024 – The Maine State Chamber of Commerce is asking lawmakers to scrap a January deadline for manufacturers to begin reporting which products contain the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
Maine businesses push back against PFAS reporting requirement
News Center Maine
January 29, 2024 –Several of the state’s largest businesses including IDEXX Laboratories, are pushing back against a first-in-the-nation law, requiring Maine companies to report PFAS chemicals in products they sell.
Harmful chemicals in plastics cost U.S. healthcare $250 billion a year, researchers say
Los Angeles Times
January 18, 2024 –They are used to give plastic products their distinctive durability, bendability and sleek, nonstick surface. Yet some of these chemical additives have been tied to maladies such as breast and prostate cancer, heart disease and diabetes, as well as problems with children’s brain development and adult fertility.
PFAS-Free Trenton information night set for Jan. 25
Mount Desert Islander
January 17, 2024 – Do you have burning questions about PFAS in your water? What are safe levels of PFAS in drinking water? What are the new federal standards for PFAS in water? How do you get your well tested or remediated for PFAS? What are PFAS anyway — and where do they come from? What bottled waters are safe to drink? These questions and more will be answered on January 25, 6 p.m., at the Town Office at 59 Oak Point Rd.
Plastic chemicals linked to $249 billion in US health care costs in 2018 alone, study finds
CNN
January 11, 2024 – By contributing to the development of chronic disease and death, a group of hormone-disruptive plastic chemicals is costing the US health care system billions — over $249 billion in 2018 alone, a new study found.
Study: US health costs related to chemicals in plastics reached $250 billion in 2018
MedicalXpress
January 11, 2024 – Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics pose a serious threat to public health and cost the U.S. an estimated $250 billion in increased health care costs in 2018, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Finnoexpert
January 11, 2024 – Microplastics like ‘forever chemicals’ are quietly causing a health crisis that costs the US a quarter of a trillion dollars every year, a study claims.
Microplastics in U.S. Food and Water: A Hidden Health Crisis
BNN
January 11, 2024 – Microplastics, the miniscule fragments of plastic debris that have permeated our environment, are now known to carry a significant health price tag.
U.S. health costs related to chemicals in plastics reached $250 billion in 2018
EurekAlert!
January 11, 2024 – Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics pose a serious threat to public health and cost the U.S. an estimated $250 billion in increased health care costs in 2018, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Plastic chemicals cost U.S health $250B in 2018
The Mirage
January 11, 2024 – Plastics contain many hazardous, endocrine-disrupting chemicals that leach and contaminate humans and the environment. These chemicals disturb the body’s hormone systems and can cause cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, neurological impairments of developing fetuses and children, and death.
U.S. health costs related to chemicals in plastics reached $250 billion in 2018
The Endocrine Society
January 11, 2024 – Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics pose a serious threat to public health and cost the U.S. an estimated $250 billion in increased healthcare costs in 2018, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Journal of the Endocrine Society
January 11, 2024 – Chemicals used in plastics have been described to contribute to disease and disability, but attributable fractions have not been quantified to assess specific contributions. Without this information, interventions proposed as part of the Global Plastics Treaty cannot be evaluated for potential benefits.
What’s the Disease Burden From Plastic Exposure?
Medscape
January 11, 2024 – Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) via daily use of plastics is a major contributor to the overall disease burden in the United States and the associated costs to society amount to more than 1% of the gross domestic product, revealed a large-scale analysis.
New study blames chemicals in plastics for $250B in US health costs
Plastic News
January 11, 2024 – Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics pose a serious threat to public health and cost the U.S. an estimated $250 billion in increased healthcare costs in 2018, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
U.S. health costs related to chemicals in plastics reached $250 billion in 2018
News Wise
January 8, 2024 – Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics pose a serious threat to public health and cost the U.S. an estimated $250 billion in increased healthcare costs in 2018, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Maine begins PFAS essential use ID process to permit sales
Bloomberg Law
January 5, 2024 – Companies and industrial sectors that claim PFAS are essential for the goods they produce have until March 1 to notify a Maine agency as the first step to help continue selling those products in the state.
Nearly 1,000 products sold in Maine contain dangerous ‘forever’ chemicals
MaineBiz
January 5, 2024 – Cosmetics and cookware, school supplies and swim suits — they’re just some of nearly 1,000 products sold in Maine that contain PFAS, the so-called “forever” chemicals that can threaten human health and the environment, according to a new analysis.
PFAS found in nearly 1,000 products sold in Maine, initial reports find
Maine Public
January 4, 2024 – Initial reports from about 40 companies show that at least 991 products sold in Maine contain PFAS chemicals.
PFAS found in almost 1,000 products sold in Maine, so far
Portland Press Herald
January 3, 2024 – National companies have conceded that they use of dozens of different so-called forever chemicals in a thousand consumer products sold in Maine, from swimsuits to cameras to eyeshadow, according to Defend Our Health, a Portland-based environmental watchdog group.
From shampoo to pesticides, see Maine’s 1st list of products with ‘forever chemicals’
Bangor Daily News
January 3, 2024 – Shampoo, dog treat packaging, cosmetics, pesticides, school supplies and swimsuits are among the nearly 1,000 brand-name products sold in Maine that contain so-called PFAS “forever chemicals,” according to an analysis of early industry reports made public for the first time today that show the prevalence of the chemicals.
The problem with bottled water
Consumer Reports
December 7, 2023 – Americans drink some 15 billion gallons of bottled water each year—around 45 gallons per person, according to the International Bottled Water Association.
Farmers call for federal ‘safety net’ after toxic sludge sinks Michigan cattle farm
The ‘Gander
November 28, 2023 – Jason Grostic didn’t expect to be the last generation to run his century-old cattle farm in Livingston County. But after state officials learned that his fertilizer had been slowly poisoning his farm for longer than a decade, Grostic said he wasn’t left with many options.
‘We’re the tip of the iceberg,’ say PFAS contaminated farmers
MLive
October 25, 2023 – Adam Nordell is a Maine organic vegetable and grain grower who shut his farm down because of toxic PFAS contamination. Susan Gordon is a Colorado organic farmer who was forced to do the same thing. Jason Grostic is a Michigan organic beef farmer facing bankruptcy after his cattle became contaminated.
Farmers and environmental health advocates call for state and national action on PFAS
Michigan Advance
October 25, 2023 – Farmers from across the country spoke out this week on the impacts of PFAS contamination on their farms, calling on lawmakers to pass protections and provide restitution to those afflicted.
Michigan State’s PFAS Research Symposium talks solutions to farmland contamination nationally
WILX 10
October 23, 2023 – Farmers, researchers, and policymakers came together to talk about how to stop contamination at farms across the country.
Maine farmers address PFAS impacts at Michigan conference
Fox Bangor
October 23, 2023 – Several Maine farmers impacted by the forever chemicals known as PFAS gathered at a conference in Michigan Monday sharing how Maine has been a leader in addressing this contamination crisis.
Maine farmers join in plea for federal help at national PFAS conference
Portland Press Herald
October 23, 2023 – Some Maine farmers who were among the first to sound the alarm about PFAS in agricultural products joined peers from other states Monday to call for federal legislation to address the growing threat, clean up contaminated farmland and prevent other farmers from suffering their own fate.
PFAS shut Maine farms down. Now, some are rebounding
Civil Eats
October 2, 2023 – In the aftermath of state testing that revealed dangerous levels of forever chemicals on some Maine farms in 2021, organizations, farmers, and Indigenous communities are creating blueprints for recovery.
Brabant-Gordon-Kemper: Farmers need protection against PFAS
VT Digger
September 29, 2023 – PFAS contamination in the food supply chain is a significant concern and is caused in many different ways but is often associated with wastewater treatment plant sludge and septic waste that is spread on farmland.
Scientists find phthalates impact development of boys more than girls
Food Packaging Forum
September 25, 2023 – In an article published on August 2, 2023, in the journal Neurotoxicology, Liron Cohen-Eliraz from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and co-authors investigated if exposure to phthalates during pregnancy affects the emotional and behavioral development of two-year-old children.
PFAS disclosures from the Department of Defense cause fear and uncertainty for farmers
Salon
September 21, 2023 – In late 2021, farmers Adam Nordell and Johanna Davis heard that their farm had appeared on what would turn out to be a very consequential map.
It’s everyone’s problem when Coca-Cola fails at its sustainability goals
LA Progressive
August 30, 2023 – Beneath the veneer of seemingly good-faith attempts to clean up its operations, lurks a commitment to a take-no-prisoners approach to the bottom line.
When Coca-Cola fails at its sustainability goals, that’s everyone’s problem
Common Dreams
August 29, 2023 – The Coca-Cola Company has managed to do well this year when it comes to climate change—last winter it sponsored the annual climate change meeting COP27, and despite the indignation, the company still managed to get through it unscathed.
Maya Rommwatt: Hidden Hazards: The Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle
Green Living with Tee
August 21, 2023 – This week Tee is excited to welcome Maya Rommwatt for an investigation into the chemical footprint of plastic bottles on our health and environment.
Maine environmental regulators move to ban PFAS in food packaging
WBUR
August 14, 2023 – Maine environmental regulators are moving forward with plans to ban the sale of food packaging made with PFAS, joining a small but growing number of states targeting a potential exposure pathway to the “forever chemicals.”
Letter to the editor: Lawmaker should have voted to override veto of tribal bill
Portland Press Herald
July 31, 2023 –Defend Our Health Action is extremely disappointed in state Rep. Edward Crockett’s decision to flip his vote and vote against overriding the governor’s veto on L.D. 2004.
Lawmakers tour Maine before negotiating next federal farm bill
Portland Press Herald
July 31, 2023 – Lawmakers about to rewrite the nation’s agricultural policy got an earful Monday from Maine farmers, who say the next U.S. farm bill needs to be flexible enough to assist small, specialty farmers, fishermen and foresters who produce food, clothing and shelter.
U.S. House Agriculture Committee holds field hearing for Maine farmers
WMTW
July 31, 2023 – Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee held a field hearing on Monday in Freeport to learn about the concerns of Maine farmers, as Congress considers the 2023 once-every-five-years national farm bill.
Replacing PFAS with safer alternatives is common sense
Bangor Daily News
July 24, 2023 – Imagine waking up to a nightmare. Your drinking water well is polluted with highly toxic industrial chemicals. Or your farm is similarly poisoned and may go under. These same chemicals are in your family’s bloodstream at levels shown to cause kidney and testicular cancer, increase risk of infectious disease and harm healthy childhood development.
We can’t ignore plastic’s climate footprint any longer
Common Dreams
July 22, 2023 – As we create policies and incentives to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we have a plastic-shaped hole in our vision.
Fluorescent lightbulbs, which contain mercury, are on their way out in Maine
Portland Press Herald
July 14, 2023 – Starting in 2026, sales of new fluorescent bulbs will be banned – though many stores already have removed the ones that used to be in wide household use. The replacements are LEDs, which are more efficient and don’t contain mercury.
State approves relief plan to support PFAS victims
News Center Maine
July 13, 2023 – The state has taken a step toward better understanding the reach of PFAS in Maine and a step toward compensating Mainers forever impacted by the chemicals.
State adopts $70 million plan to help farmers deal with PFAS contamination
Portland Press Herald
July 12, 2023 – The state has finalized a plan on how to spend $70 million in relief funds for Maine farmers whose lives have been upended by toxic chemicals left behind by a now-defunct state-approved sludge spreading program.
A new report details the climate, health and human rights impacts of a plastic bottle
Salon
June 12, 2023 –It’s hard to escape PET plastics. Polyethylene terephthalate (better known as PET) has become the food packaging material of choice since it was patented in 1973: It’s used to produce approximately 600 billion plastic bottles every year, which are destined to be filled with everything from soda and water to mouthwash and salad dressing
Yahoo! News
June 9, 2023 – A recent report revealed that plastic bottles cause chemical pollution at every stage of their famously long lifespans — and this pollution has human health, environmental, and climate impacts.
A new report details the climate, health and human rights impacts of a plastic bottle
Food Print
June 7, 2023 – It’s hard to escape PET plastics. Polyethylene terephthalate (better known as PET) has become the food packaging material of choice since it was patented in 1973: It’s used to produce approximately 600 billion plastic bottles every year, which are destined to be filled with everything from soda and water to mouthwash and salad dressing.
Maine data unveils troubling trend: 55 PFAS-related chemicals in over 1,400 pesticides
EWG
June 6, 2023 – More than 1,400 pesticides contain active ingredients that meet Maine’s definition for the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, according to a new analysis of data from the state by Environmental Working Group researchers.
States sue 3M, DuPont over toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in drinking water
CNBC
June 2, 2023 – Just outside of Bangor, Maine — the hometown of renowned horror author Stephen King — more than 500 students, faculty and staff arrive at Hermon High School each day.
Maine plans removal of PFAS from sewage sludge used as fertilizer
The Guardian
May 23, 2023 – Utility officials in Maine and elsewhere around the country are developing first-of-their-kind plans to eliminate toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” from sewage sludge spread as fertilizer on farmland.
US NGO calls for removal of cancer-causing chemicals from PET production
Chemical Watch
May 23, 2023 – Environmental advocate Defend Our Health has called on the US EPA and beverage companies to eliminate cancer-causing chemicals in the manufacture of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) products.
Plastic bottles harm human health at every stage of their life cycle
Grist
May 23, 2023 – In 1973, a DuPont engineer named Nathaniel Wyeth patented the PET plastic bottle — an innovative and durable alternative to glass. Since then, production has skyrocketed to more than half a trillion bottles per year, driven by beverage companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé.
EPA moves to crack down on toxic zones like Houston Ship Channel
Houston Chronicle
May 20, 2023 – In southeast Houston, about five miles south of the cluster of petrochemical plants and oil refineries that line the Houston Ship Channel, Erandi Trevino knows when something has gone awry.
Maine farmers impacted by PFAS worry multi-million-dollar fund will fall short
News Center Maine
May 19, 2023 – A state fund set up to help Maine farmers dealing with PFAS has a higher price tag than the 60 million dollars approved last year by lawmakers and Governor Janet Mills.
‘Forever chemical’ foes strengthen their hand
Politico
May 16, 2023 – Manufacturing groups are trying to water down a nation-leading law tackling “forever chemicals,” but Maine lawmakers are holding firm.
WABI 5 News
May 15, 2023 – Defend Our Health, a nonprofit public health organization, hosted a press conference in Augusta today in support of a bill focused on phasing out plastic pollution in the state by getting rid of certain packaging materials.
PFAS exposure leaves Maine people wondering: What is it doing to us?
Portland Press Herald
May 14, 2023 – Adam Nordell reflected on how the peppers tasted – sweet and crunchy – while standing in what used to be the entrance to a greenhouse at Songbird Farm.
Lawmakers move to delay start of first-in-the-nation PFAS law
Portland Press Herald
May 11, 2023 – Maine is poised to delay its first-in-the-nation law forcing manufacturers to notify the state if the products they sell inside state borders contain harmful forever chemicals.
Concerns Over Maine PFAS-in-Products Law Prompt Changes
Bloomberg Law
May 10, 2023 – Maine legislators on a key committee agreed on Wednesday to make core changes to a state PFAS law that had raised compliance concerns for companies across the US.
Committee supports delaying Maine’s first-in-the-nation PFAS reporting law
Maine Public
May 10, 2023 – A legislative committee is recommending that the state delay new reporting requirements for manufacturers of products that contain PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals” are at the center of growing health concerns.
Toxic “forever chemicals” found in U.S. farmland soil
CBS News
May 2, 2023 – Adam Nordell and his wife Johanna bought Songbird Farm in Maine back in 2014 with the hopes of raising organic produce and a family.
Businesses ask lawmakers to relax state PFAS ban
Portland Press Herald
April 26, 2023 – Business groups want lawmakers to roll back key provisions of the state’s first-in-the-nation ban on products containing harmful forever chemicals, claiming the new law is well-intentioned but too broad, too aggressive and too costly for them to follow.
Maine attorney general files suit against ‘forever chemical’ manufacturers
Maine Public
March 29, 2023 – The state of Maine is suing several chemical manufacturers over contamination with the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
Maine sues 3M and DuPont for PFAS contamination ‘in pursuit of profit’
Bangor Daily News
March 29, 2023 – Maine filed lawsuits against 3M and DuPont de Nemours, Inc. on Wednesday, with the attorney general saying the companies introduced so-called forever chemicals “in pursuit of profit for shareholders.”
N.B. company receiving Maine waste says it won’t show up in provincial farms, gardens
CBC
March 15, 2023 – The company bringing sludge from Maine sewage plants into New Brunswick says people in the province don’t need to worry that “forever chemicals” will show up in their garden compost at significant levels.
Proposed federal PFAS drinking water standards are stricter than Maine’s
Maine Public
March 14, 2023 – Federal environmental regulators are proposing new drinking water standards for the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS that would be even more stringent than health limits set by the state of Maine several years ago.
EPA proposal would tighten limits on PFAS in Maine water
Portland Press Herald
March 14, 2023 – Nearly two years after Maine imposed some of the nation’s first limits on industrial pollutants known as “forever chemicals,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed nationwide drinking water standards that agency officials said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer.
Maine treatment plants are finding more places to put wastewater sludge
News Center Maine
March 10, 2023 – It’s a crisis averted at Maine’s only landfill that takes municipal sludge and what could be even bigger environmental concerns in the decades to come.
Environmental group alleges Casella Waste Systems manufactured sludge crisis
Portland Press Herald
March 5, 2023 – An environmental public health nonprofit group said Friday that Casella Waste Systems has manufactured Maine’s sludge crisis, leaving 30 wastewater treatment plants across the state with nowhere to send their sludge.
Maine must resist attempts to roll back PFAS protections
Bangor Daily News
Feb 15, 2023 – Since the discovery of PFAS contamination on Stoneridge Farm in Arundel back in 2016, Maine has been a national leader on combating “forever chemical” contamination.
Lawmakers consider state buyback program for farms ruined by tainted sludge
Portland Press Herald
Feb 13, 2023 – Fred Stone still thinks of himself as a dairy farmer, but it has been six years since the Arundel man has sold any milk or earned so much as a dime from Stoneridge Farm.
New bill sparks debate over speed of Maine’s response to help farmers impacted by PFAS
Maine Public
Feb 13, 2023 – A new legislative proposal is sparking a debate over how quickly the state should move to help farmers whose land is contaminated with forever chemicals known as PFAS.
This new initiative funded by the EPA aims to help new Mainers advocate for safe housing
News Center Maine
Jan 24, 2023 – Finding a home in the current rental market in southern Maine is hard enough but imagine trying to navigate the process in a language you don’t know.
More than 1,000 Maine sites identified so far for testing of PFAS contamination
Central Maine
Jan 19, 2023 – The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has so far identified more than 1,000 locations that must be tested for PFAS contamination and through the course of its investigation has collected groundwater samples for testing at another 1,500 homes, the agency said in a report to a legislative committee.
State bans on products with ‘forever chemicals’ increase
The Wall Street Journal
Jan 12, 2023 – New state laws banning products with “forever chemicals”—from carpets and fast-food wrappers to ski wax—are taking effect as momentum grows nationally to get rid of substances that accumulate in human bodies and are linked to serious health problems.
The price of PFAS: ‘Forever chemicals’ generate boundless costs
The Maine Monitor
Dec 18, 2022 – Widespread contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “has the potential to impose an unsustainable burden on state and private resources,” the Maine PFAS Task Force wrote three years ago.
Maine’s law to reduce PFAS in products is off to a slow start
The Maine Monitor
Nov 27, 2022 – Sixteen months after Maine enacted a first-in-the-nation law aimed at eliminating use of most per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by 2030, the phased-in ban faces its first major milestone. By January 1, 2023, manufacturers of PFAS (or companies that place their brands on products containing intentionally added PFAS) must report to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) documenting the purpose and amount of each PFAS compound used.
Casella poised to spread sewage sludge over hundreds of acres in Steuben County
Finger Lakes 1
Nov 10, 2022 – A unit of Casella Waste Systems Inc. has acquired or leased 2,789 acres from a Steuben County farming family that has spread sewage sludge on the properties for decades, a practice Casella plans to continue.
Maine DEP extends PFAS reporting deadline for 1,000 manufacturers
WABI 5
Nov 7, 2022 – The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has extended the reporting deadline for more than 1,000 manufacturers who intentionally add PFAS to their products.
Maine gives companies more time to disclose PFAS use after requests from lobbying groups
Bangor Daily News
Nov 7, 2022 – One challenge with “forever chemicals” is that the public can’t always know which products contain them, meaning people can’t decide for themselves whether they want to buy items with toxic substances.
Maine on forefront of looming national PFAS crisis, Pingree warns
Maine Beacon
Nov 1, 2022 – All four members of Maine’s federal delegation are co-sponsoring a new bill allowing states to use federal funds to expand PFAS testing, compensate farmers for lost income,” and monitor adverse health outcomes for people affected by the so-called “forever chemicals.
Maine is giving some companies more time to say if PFAS are in their products
Bangor Daily News
Oct 27, 2022 – The state is granting six-month extensions to some companies to give them more time to report whether toxic chemicals are in their products.
Commentary: Chamber’s concerns about PFAS ignore affected Maine communities, businesses
Portland Press Herald
Oct 26, 2022 – The Maine State Chamber of Commerce sent out an action alert Oct. 11, calling for businesses to request that Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection offer a blanket reprieve from the PFAS reporting requirements under L.D. 1503, An Act To Stop Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution.
PFAS to Go: Many takeout containers and wrappers risk contaminating foods
The Maine Monitor
Oct 23, 2022 – Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can find their way into foods through sludge or compost that contaminates soils, waters and crops, or they can migrate directly from packaging into a burger or burrito eaten on the run.
Can anti-coal tactics work against plastics?
E&E News
Oct 6, 2022 – One of the most significant efforts to halt the plastics industry in its tracks sees a path to victory through grassroots advocacy, an avenue proponents hope will help combat a powerful and rapidly growing sector.
Federal bill could help Maine farmers impacted by PFAS chemicals
News Center Maine
Sep 30, 2022 – Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is expected to file a bill that would provide grants to states to help farmers reeling from contamination from industrial chemicals known as PFAS.
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Sep 21, 2022 – Today, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions Michael R. Bloomberg launched Beyond Petrochemicals: People Over Pollution, a new campaign that aims to halt the rapid expansion of petrochemical and plastic pollution in the United States.
Bloomberg takes on the plastics industry
E&E News
Sep 21, 2022 – Billionaire Michael Bloomberg is launching an $85 million campaign aimed at blocking the petrochemical industry’s staggering supply of plastics and bolstering local advocacy efforts.
Letter to the editor: ‘Forever chemicals’ laws remind us of Maine legislators’ impact
Portland Press Herald
Sep 17, 2022 – I had the good fortune Sunday of attending a gathering sponsored by Defend Our Health to honor and celebrate the hard work of Maine legislators and other leaders who were able to pass critical legislation this year to manage the PFAS contamination of Maine farmlands; to ensure that the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik has clean drinking water, and to address other chemicals in our environment that are a threat to the health of Mainers.
Maine residents honored for work combatting PFAS chemicals
WABI
Sep 15, 2022 – Maine residents working to prevent PFAS contamination in our drinking water were honored for their efforts.
The Maine Monitor
Sep 10, 2022 – As the latest round of PFAS legislation took shape last winter, members of the Penobscot Indian Nation realized the proposed ban on land application of sludge and sludge-based compost, LD 1911, would redirect much of the state’s PFAS-contaminated sludge to the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill, located in Old Town near the Penobscot Reservation.
LA Progressive
Aug 29, 2022 – Oil companies are high on the hog again, with record high gas prices fueling record profits–profits so high they’re even catching the attention of Democrats in Congress.
Most Maine bottled water companies aren’t testing for PFAS
Bangor Daily News
Aug 29, 2022 – As Mainers learn about the presence of toxic chemicals in their public drinking water supplies and private wells, more are turning to bottled water.
Big oil goes all in on toxic plastic
Common Dreams
Aug 26, 2022 – Oil companies are high on the hog again, with record high gas prices fueling record profits–profits so high they’re even catching the attention of Democrats in Congress.
Maine farmers, advocates cheer federal action to clean up forever chemicals
Portland Press Herald
Aug 26, 2022 – Adam Nordell and his wife, Johanna Davis, learned last year that the soil and water under their organic vegetable farm in Unity were contaminated with toxic forever chemicals from sewage sludge spread by the truckload in the early 1990s.
Maine advocates say EPA’s PFAS designation is a historic first step, but are looking for more action
Maine Beacon
Aug 26, 2022 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it will designate two common PFAS chemicals as hazardous substances.
PFAS: The water contaminant that scientists say isn’t going away
CBS News
Aug 21, 2022 – On a cold winter day on the Stoneridge Dairy Farm, in Arundel, Maine, Fred Stone was worried more about his cows being cold than himself, especially his prized Brown Swiss, named Blue. “She likes to give me a hard time, as much as she can,” Stone told correspondent Lee Cowan.
Maine farmer impacted by PFAS plowing new path forward
News Center Maine
Aug 19, 2022 – Adam Nordell, who shut down his organic farm, is now an advocate for Defend Our Health.
Doctors hear more from worried Mainers that PFAS are making them sick
Bangor Daily News
Aug 5, 2022 – Maine doctors are having more conversations with patients about the risks of forever chemicals, but they are often difficult ones to have.
Sewage spread as fertilizer on Chicago-area farmland contains toxic chemicals
Chicago Tribune
July 31, 2022 – Ray Dettmering didn’t think twice after a salesman knocked on his door a decade ago and offered the Will County farmer as much free fertilizer as he wanted.
Testing finds antimony in common beverages bottled in PET
Food Packaging Forum
July 21, 2022 – On July 19, 2022, the civil society organization Defend Our Health announced the publication of its new report that finds unsafe levels of antimony in common beverages packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
‘Cancer Alley’ a cautionary tale for fashion’s polyester love affair
Sourcing Journal
July 21, 2022 – Polyester isn’t just helping fuel the climate crisis, a new report warned Tuesday, but it could also be threatening human health.
Does your soda, juice, water, & energy drink contain toxic antimony? Find out!
Mamavation
July 19, 2022 – Does your favorite soda, juice, water, tea, or energy drink contain toxic heavy metal antimony? It’s very possible if you are drinking it from a plastic PET bottle.
Lawmakers introduce Food Safety Administration Act
Pet Food Processing
July 19, 2022 – Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro and US Senator Dick Durbin introduced legislation that would remove food safety oversight functions from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Local farmer named Defend Our Health campaign manager
Republican Journal
July 13, 2022 – Local farmer Adam Nordell knows a thing or two about PFAS contamination as he discovered over the winter that his own farm here was contaminated. He now brings that knowledge and his desire to help other farmers to Defend Our Health, based in Portland, as its new campaign manager.
Advocates pan industry letter requesting delay of Maine’s PFAS reporting requirement
Maine Beacon
July 13, 2022 – Advocates at the forefront of the fight against toxic substances in Maine are pushing back against a recent letter from over 50 industry groups, including the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, requesting that the Mills administration delay implementation of a law requiring companies to provide information on products that contain PFAS beginning in 2023.
Why there’s still PFAS in your burger wrapper after Maine banned the chemicals from food packaging
Bangor Daily News
July 5, 2022 – Maine lawmakers in 2019 decided to ban certain toxic chemicals from packaging that touches food, such as burger wrappers, popcorn bags, pizza boxes and paper plates and bowls.
Cutting industry negotiation said to speed EPA chemical controls
Bloomberg Law
June 29, 2022 – The EPA would complete its new chemicals oversight faster if it ordered manufacturers to restrain their production and use of the compounds and didn’t negotiate the restraints first, an attorney and former top agency official said Wednesday.
Maine farmers call for state to address PFAS contamination
WGME 13
June 23, 2022 – Hundreds of Maine farms have been contaminated with forever chemicals. For many of those farmers, it means their crops, meat, eggs and milk are now unsafe to eat.
Food companies put on notice to comply with Maine’s phthalates ban
News Center Maine
June 21, 2022 – Maine environmental regulators are putting several major food manufacturers on notice that they have until July 1 to be in compliance with Maine’s ban on chemicals known as phthalates. The ban recently went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year.
Maine advocates push for stricter PFAS limits in drinking water
News Center Maine
June 17, 2022 – Environmental advocates are calling on the Maine Center for Disease Control and Protection to set lower limits for toxic chemicals, known as PFAS in drinking water.
Maine farmers heartbroken after EPA admits that almost no amount of PFAS is safe
Bangor Daily News
June 17, 2022 – The federal government’s drastic reduction of the levels of “forever chemicals” that are safe for consumption is getting a mixed reaction from farmers in Maine.
Maine looks at tightening PFAS standards after feds say almost no level is safe
Bangor Daily News
June 16, 2022 – Pioneering Maine restrictions on “forever chemicals” could be tightened further after the federal government said that virtually any level of exposure in drinking water is unsafe, policymakers said on Thursday.
The FDA refuses to ban these toxic chemicals in food packaging, experts say
Eat This, Not That
June 1, 2022 – On a scale of 1 to 10, how worried are you about harmful chemicals lurking in your food? Truth be told, you’re probably more concerned about the rising costs of gas and groceries, what your child is or isn’t learning in school (or if they’re even safe at school), whether you should get a better job, how your aging parents are doing . . . you know, life!
PFAS in sewage sludge, industrial wastewater targeted for rules
Bloomberg Law
May 24, 2022 – Sewage treatment plants around the country and many of the factories that send them wastewater face a new and shifting array of regulations over how they handle PFAS.
After historic passage, new laws battling PFAS enter implementation phase
Maine Beacon
May 18, 2022 – On May 9, Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed LD1911 into law, officially banning the spread of fertilizer infused with PFAS, toxic substances more commonly known as “forever chemicals,” on Maine’s farmland.
States weigh ‘everywhere chemicals’ bans to exceed Federal rules
Bloomberg Law
May 12, 2022 – Phthalates found across households—from cosmetics and detergents to shower curtains and vinyl flooring—are called “everywhere chemicals.” But they’re not close to being regulated everywhere.
Maine bans use of sewage sludge on farms to reduce risk of PFAS poisoning
The Guardian
May 12, 2022 – Maine last month became the first state to ban the practice of spreading PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge as fertilizer.
Maine officials urged to enforce ban on chemicals in food packaging
News Center Maine
April 28, 2022 – Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey is being urged to enforce a ban on toxic chemicals known as phthalates in food packaging.
New bill to help get well water tested and cleaned
Fox 22 Bangor
April 27, 2022 – According to the group Defend Our Health, about 70,000 Mainers cannot afford to pay for testing and remediation for their well water. A new bill will help mainers get access to those services through legislation.
Food industry leaders call for changes in FDA operations
Progressive Grocer
April 26, 2022 – The Consumer Brands Association has joined a coalition of nearly 30 consumer and food industry organizations, among them FMI – The Food Industry Association, to call for constructive changes to the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) food program.
Group working to test local wells for PFAS
Mount Desert Islander
April 21, 2022 – Concerns over per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of manmade chemicals commonly referred to as PFAS, have been dominating state headlines, as several bills to address issues of environmental contamination have been passed since last year.
How the LePage administration’s delays and denials deepened Maine’s PFAS crisis
Maine Beacon
April 18, 2022 – The LePage administration, which had close ties to the chemical industry and a history of undermining and mocking protections from toxic chemicals, knew about PFAS contamination in Maine soil and milk beginning in at least 2016.
Podcast: Maine’s fight against forever chemicals
Maine Beacon
April 14, 2022 – Sarah Woodbury, director of advocacy at Defend Our Health, joins the podcast today to discuss the Maine legislature’s response to PFAS contamination.
Maine legislators move toward final passage of bills restricting PFAS ‘forever chemicals’
WMTW
April 13, 2022 – Maine state legislators were voting Tuesday on four bills that would address PFAS, short for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals,” because they don’t break down in nature.
Maine coalition group raises concerns over bill regarding PFAS contamination
WABI
April 8, 2022 – A coalition called Maine Work Boots Alliance gathered at the State House Thursday, to share their concerns about a bill that would prohibit the contamination of clean soils with forever chemicals containing PFAS.
No one knows how many gallons of ‘forever chemicals’ are flowing in Maine’s waters
Bangor Daily News
March 28, 2022 – Treatment plants release millions of gallons of wastewater into Maine’s waterways each day that could contain elevated levels of so-called forever chemicals that are used in a wide variety of consumer products and have been linked to long-term health and environmental risks.
‘I don’t know how we’ll survive’: the farmers facing ruin in Maine’s ‘forever chemicals’ crisis
The Guardian
March 22, 2022 – Maine faces a crisis from PFAS-contaminated produce, which is causing farms to close and farmers to face the loss of their livelihoods.
We must protect Maine’s farmland from further PFAS contamination
Bangor Daily News
March 17, 2022 – A recent editorial from the Bangor Daily News called for action from Maine on stopping the spread of “forever chemicals” in our land and groundwater.
Bill would further regulate foams with PFAs
Fox 22 Bangor
March 15, 2022 – A bill that would implement recommendations to regulate fire-suppressant foams that contain PFAs was the subject of a public hearing Monday.
Sludge explained: What you need to know about “forever chemical” contamination on some Maine farms
Spectrum News
March 8, 2022 – State scientists in Maine are beginning to test for toxic chemicals called PFAS on hundreds of farms that may have been spread decades ago with fertilizer made from sewage sludge.
Groups call for ban on sludge spreading as PFAS found on more Maine farms
Maine Public
February 23, 2022 – Agricultural and environmental groups are calling on state lawmakers to pass a bill prohibiting sludge spreading in Maine as additional farmers come forward to disclose PFAS contamination on their land or in their water.
Local farmers urge lawmakers to ban the spread of “forever chemicals”
Fox Bangor
February 23, 2022 – Farmers, health advocates and community leaders gathered at the State Capitol Wednesday morning to push for a bill to prevent the spread of PFAS contaminated sludge in Maine, also known as “forever chemicals”.
Ban PFAS fertilizer spread on land, Maine farmers ask lawmakers
Bloomberg Law
February 23, 2022 – Maine farmers and agricultural groups urged state lawmakers on Wednesday to pass legislation restricting a type of fertilizer from being spread on farmland, golf courses, and other properties if it contains “forever chemicals”.
Early state testing reveals high lead levels in Bath schools
Times Record
February 15, 2022 – Initial results from the state testing for lead in water at Maine schools revealed high levels of the harmful metal in three Bath schools.
Enforcement of chemicals in food packaging ban delayed in Maine
News Center Maine
February 10, 2022 – Some environmental advocates are raising concerns about the state’s decision to delay enforcing a law prohibiting the use of chemicals known as phthalates in food and beverage packaging in Maine.
Chemical Watch
January, 2022 – The last few years have seen a growing number of governments pass legislation to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFASs.
Maine may have to spend tens of millions per year to fight ‘forever chemicals’
Bangor Daily News
January 31, 2022 – Maine may need to spend $20 million annually to fight harmful “forever chemicals” increasingly being found in land and water here, top state officials said Monday.
Maine predicts a steep price to fight forever chemicals
Portland Press Herald
January 31, 2022 – Soil and water testing, bottled water and filtration systems at farms, factories and landfills where PFAS chemicals have tainted the well water could cost up to $20 million a year, says DEP Commissioner Melanie Loyzim.
How the state is dealing with PFAS contamination in the soil and water all across Maine
Maine Public
January 26, 2022 – Man-made chemicals known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” have long been used in common household products and in applications such as firefighting.
Penobscot Nation and environmental advocates raise concerns about PFAS in landfill runoff
Maine Public
January 24, 2022 – Representatives of the Penobscot Nation as well as environmental and health groups are pushing for tighter regulations on what happens to liquid waste from a state-owned landfill in Old Town as they seek to protect tribal members from potential dangers of so-called “forever chemicals.”
My daughter’s nail polish shows how little we know about chemicals in everyday products
Bangor Daily News
January 14, 2022 – My daughter rarely uses nail polish but she does when the occasion calls for dressing in style. I was curious about the brand she uses and looked it up. It comes in 14 different varieties, each containing between three and 18 chemicals. Some are benign, while others are associated with allergies, impaired fetal development, cancer and a variety of other conditions that we all hope to avoid.
New Maine law targets chemicals in food packaging
News Center Maine
December 28, 2021 – A new law will go into effect on Jan. 1 that would prohibit the use of chemicals, known as phthalates, in food and beverage packaging in Maine.
Private wells in Kittery tested for PFAS
News Center Maine
December 17, 2021 – Nearly a dozen private well owners in Kittery are awaiting test results after toxic chemicals were found near the town’s dump.
EPA Reopens TSCA Comment Dockets for 20 ‘High Priority’ Chemicals
Inside EPA
December 13, 2021 – EPA is reopening for another six months its call for toxicity, use and exposure information on the 20 chemicals it designated as “high-priority” for TSCA evaluation in 2019 — a move that immediately follows a new letter from a coalition of environmental groups urging officials to consider racial disparities in its evaluations of seven phthalates.
Environmental groups sue FDA over hormone-disrupting phthalates
The Hill
December 7, 2021 – Environmental groups are demanding that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) take swift action to ban phthalates from food packaging and processing materials, in a lawsuit filed in a Washington, D.C. federal court on Tuesday.
These chemicals disrupt the sexual development of children – and they’re everywhere
The Intercept
December 7, 2021 – The EPA said that it would begin monitoring for DINP, a phthalate that causes birth defects and cancer, more than 20 years ago. It still hasn’t.
Dairy Dialog podcast 160: Defend Our Health, DSM, Milcobel
Dairy Reporter
November 24, 2021 – This week on the podcast, we have interviews with Pim van Hee, innovation manager dairy and dairy alternatives, and Eric van den Berg, product application expert phages, at DSM Food Specialties; research analyst at Defend Our Health, Roopa Krithivasan; and Pascale Van Leeuwen, marketing manager for consumer products at Milcobel.
States eclipse Feds in cleaning up ‘forever chemicals’ in soil
Bloomberg Law
November 10, 2021 – States are moving to set cleanup targets for so-called “forever chemicals” in soil—guidelines that attorneys say could create the potential for state and federal conflict over standards as the Biden administration advances its own plan to combat PFAS pollution.
New report reveals cocktail of contaminants in drinking water
News Center Maine
November 9, 2021 – What’s in your water? A new report by a national group of scientists found that millions of people across Maine and the United States may be drinking water that includes an invisible cocktail of toxic chemicals.
11th. Circ. Won’t Revive Bacardi Gin Class Suit
Law 360
November 8, 2021 – The Eleventh Circuit on Monday affirmed the dismissal of a proposed class action claiming Bacardi deceived consumers by selling its Bombay Sapphire gin in Florida in violation of a 153-year-old state law…
Maine DEP identifies 34 towns with high-priority sites PFAS chemicals testing
Maine Public
October 22, 2021 – The Maine Department of Environmental Protection on Friday released a list of 34 towns where staff will soon start looking for contamination with so-called PFAS chemicals.
Letter: Maine tribes need sovereignty, not just symbolic victories
Bangor Daily News
October 19, 2021 – Maine has made strides in recent years in recognizing harm being done to our tribal neighbors and working to correct it. Laws have been passed banning Indian mascots and renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day…
Maine to investigate more than 500 sludge sites for contamination by ‘forever chemicals’
Portland Press Herald
October 12, 2021 – State environmental regulators are preparing to launch a massive, statewide investigation to find additional “forever chemical” hotspots stemming from Maine’s decades-long use of municipal sludge and paper mill waste as farm fertilizer.
Study finds toxic PFAS chemicals in makeup
News Center Maine
October 12, 2021 – A recent University of Notre Dame study found toxic chemicals known as PFAS in more than half of the makeup products they tested.
Maine Voices: Maine should do more to remediate PFAS contamination
Portland Press Herald
October 11, 2021 – Maine has been in the midst of a PFAS contamination crisis for years; many people have been affected and I am one of them.