Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Forever Chemicals' Pose Serious Danger To Public Health, EPA Warns
USA Today: EPA Finds No Safe Level For Toxic PFAS In Thousands Of Water Systems
The Environmental Protection Agency stunned scientists and local officials across the country on Wednesday by releasing new health advisories for toxic "forever chemicals" known to be in thousands of U.S. drinking water systems, impacting potentially millions of people. The new advisories cut the safe level of chemical PFOA by more than 17,000 times what the agency had previously said was protective of public health, to now just four "parts per quadrillion." The safe level of a sister chemical, PFOS, was reduced by a factor of 3,500. The chemicals are part of a class of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals due to their extreme resistance to disintegration. They have been linked to different types of cancer, low birthweights, thyroid disease and other health ailments. In effect, the agency now says, any detectable amounts of PFOA and PFOS are unsafe to consume. (Bagenstose, 6/15)
The Washington Post: EPA Warns PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ More Dangerous Than Once Thought
The Environmental Protection Agency warned Wednesday that a group of human-made chemicals found in the drinking water, cosmetics and food packaging used by millions of Americans poses a greater danger to human health than regulators previously thought. The new health advisories for a ubiquitous class of compounds known as polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, underscore the risk facing dozens of communities across the country. Linked to infertility, thyroid problems and several types of cancer, these “forever chemicals” can persist in the environment for years without breaking down. (Grandoni, 6/15)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: EPA Recommendations For PFAS In Drinking Water Far Below Wisconsin's
The federal government on Wednesday released a host of new recommended health limits for "forever chemicals," with numbers drastically lower than standards Wisconsin passed this week. In its announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency invited states and territories to apply for the $1 billion in funding made available to address PFAS by the Bipartisan Infrastructure package passed earlier this year. The new interim standards are 0.004 parts per trillion for PFOA, 0.02 parts per trillion for PFOS, 10 ppt for GenX chemicals and 2,000 ppt for PFBS. (Schulte, 6/15)
In news about air pollution —
Axios: Most Americans Live With Unsafe Air Pollution Levels
More than 92% of Americans live in a region with unsafe air pollution, which could lead to reduced life expectancy, according to the latest University of Chicago Air Quality Life Index. Some Americans could add more than a year to their lives if they lived in a place with cleaner air. Air pollution can affect not only the lungs but also the heart, upper airways and many other organs. (Dreher, 6/15)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta Air Quality Improved, But Still Gets An F In Annual Survey
Metro Atlanta’s air quality has improved significantly over the past two decades, but the area still received a failing grade this year from the American Lung Association for harmful smog. And experts warn climate change threatens to derail hard-earned progress. Atlanta ranked as the 51st most polluted city for smog and 37th for year-round soot in the association’s State of the Air report. Atlanta improved 16 places for smog and six places for year-round soot compared to a year ago. The ALA and state officials attribute the Atlanta area’s improvement to long-term trends related to the federal Clean Air Act, which, among other things, sets standards for air quality and emissions from vehicles and industry. (Lutz, 6/15)
Dangerous heat continues to pummel the U.S. —
The New York Times: Dangerously Hot Weather Descends on 60 Million Americans
Millions of people were expected to suffer through blistering conditions again on Thursday with heat-related warnings and advisories in effect, mostly in the Midwest and Southeast, the National Weather Service said, adding that it may take weeks to see relief. More than 60 million people from Southern California to West Virginia and as far south as Florida were under an excessive heat warning or heat advisory, meteorologists said. Residents in several states on Wednesday saw temperatures rise well into the 90s, and in some cases into the 100s, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service. They said hot temperatures were likely to persist across large sections of the country for several days. (Albeck-Ripka and Bryson Taylor, 6/15)
NBC News: Water Partially Restored In Odessa, Texas, After Main Break Cut Off Service During Heat Wave
Residents of a West Texas town slowly regained some water service Wednesday, officials said, after a main break on Tuesday left the community dry during an early summer heat wave. When a pipe under the famed oil boom city of Odessa broke, an estimated 165,000 people in the region suddenly lost the ability to open their taps for basic household functions such as drinking, cooking, cleaning and toilet use. (Li, 6/15)
