Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Class-Action Suits Filed After Residents Of South Carolina Town Discovered Unapproved Chemical In Their Drinking Water
CNN: Lawsuits Filed Over Drinking Water In South Carolina After CNN Report
Two lawsuits have been filed on behalf of residents of Denmark, South Carolina, where a CNN investigation revealed that a chemical was being added to the water supply for 10 years without EPA approval. The city of Denmark has been under scrutiny from residents suspicious of the rust-colored water coming from their taps, even though the local and state government assured them it was safe. (Ganim, 11/20)
North Carolina Health News: Blood Tests Show 4 PFAS, But No GenX
Blood samples taken from more than 300 New Hanover County residents contain man-made chemicals unique to their drinking water source, but GenX is not one of them. Results of blood tests from a GenX exposure study reveal four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, specific to customers of the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, according to the North Carolina State University researchers who conducted the tests. (Talton, 11/21)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: These 12 Public Schools In The New Orleans Area Tested Too High For Lead In Drinking Water: Report
At least 12 public schools in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes failed tests for lead levels in drinking water, WVUE television reports. Jefferson conducted its own tests over the summer at 20 of its 86 schools, and the Louisiana Department of Health tested five New Orleans and St. Tammany schools that were built before 1986 and had no plumbing changes since then. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1 part per billion of lead in children’s drinking water, but at a cafeteria drinking fountain at Mildred S. Harris Elementary in Bridge City, Jefferson found 23.3 parts per billion. (Broach, 11/20)
Reuters: U.S. Judge Selects First Case In Federal Monsanto Weed-Killer Litigation
A U.S. judge overseeing the federal litigation against Bayer AG's Monsanto unit over glyphosate-based weed-killers allegedly causing cancer on Tuesday selected the first case to be tried in federal court in February 2019. U.S. District Judge Vince Chaabria in San Francisco in an order said the case of California resident Edwin Hardeman will be the first out of more than 620 cases pending in the federal litigation to go to a jury. (11/20)
The Associated Press: Monsanto Appeals $78M Verdict In California Weed Killer Suit
Agribusiness giant Monsanto on Tuesday appealed a $78 million verdict in favor of a dying California man who said the company’s widely used Roundup weed killer was a major factor in his cancer. The company filed a notice of appeal in San Francisco Superior Court challenging a jury verdict in favor of DeWayne Johnson. In August, the jury unanimously found that Roundup caused Johnson’s non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and awarded him $289 million. (11/20)
