Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
3M's Bill To Settle PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuits: $10.3 Billion
AP: 3M Reaches $10.3 Billion Settlement Over Contamination Of Water Systems With 'Forever Chemicals'
Chemical manufacturer 3M Co. will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and a host of consumer products, the company said Thursday. The deal would compensate water providers for pollution with per- and polyfluorinated substances, known collectively as PFAS — a broad class of chemicals used in nonstick, water- and grease-resistant products such as clothing and cookware. (Flesher, 6/23)
In other environmental health news —
The Washington Post: In ‘Cancer Alley,’ A Key Biden Climate Push Draws Fire From Environmentalists
Petrochemical plants and refineries dominate the landscape in this part of Louisiana, each year spewing millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the air. If Washington and the oil industry have their way, some of those climate-warming gases could soon be captured and stored underground. But the Biden administration faces big resistance from a key ally: environmentalists. Many, led by environmental justice advocates, object to carbon capture projects, especially in a region where petrochemical plants often sit next to Black churches and schools, and high cancer rates have led to the nickname “Cancer Alley.” (Puko, 6/22)
CBS News: Minneapolis' Worst Air Quality Day Was Equivalent To Smoking Half Pack Of Cigarettes
A user of the open-source software development website Github created a calculator that converts a given AQI value into cigarettes. On a normal day, the AQI level is between 0-50. On the high end of that range, breathing in that air in a 24-hour period is about equivalent to smoking 0.72 of an entire cigarette. How about on that unprecedented day of hazardous air in Minneapolis? The AQI value of 243 means folks who spent most of their time outside on June 14 were breathing in particulate-rich air that was roughly equivalent to smoking 8.8 cigarettes. (Chapman, James and staff, 6/20)
The Washington Post: East Palestine Fire Chief To NTSB Hearing: 13 Minutes To Make Key Decision
The East Palestine fire chief told investigators probing a Norfolk Southern derailment that the railroad gave him 13 minutes to decide whether to vent and burn carloads of hazardous vinyl chloride — a timeline he said left him feeling “blindsided.” (Lazo, Duncan, Dance and Aratani, 6/22)
Bloomberg: El Nino’s Fierce Heat Carries New Risk Of Resurgent Deadly Viruses
The return of El Niño after nearly four years is raising the specter of extreme weather, economic pain, and agricultural disruption across the globe. Now add another unpleasant effect to the mix: a resurgence of tropical diseases. (De Wei, 6/23)
