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☆ Supreme Court saves consumer protection agency after a challenge from conservatives and the payday lending industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( John Fritze | Joan Biskupic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Congress created the bureau in 2010 to protect consumers from financial scams. The payday lending groups sued over a 2017 bureau rule that prohibited attempts to withdraw payments from accounts after two consecutive tries failed due to insufficient funds. Because of that, the conservative appeals court tossed the payday lending rule. The Biden administration appealed to the Supreme Court in 2022. CNN Supreme Court analyst Steve Vladeck said the ruling is another instance of the high court not endorsing controversial opinions from the 5th Circuit.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Biden, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren, ” Thomas, Steve Vladeck, “, would’ve, ”, Vladeck, Samuel Alito, ” Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Stuart, Trump Organizations: CNN, Massachusetts Democratic, Federal Reserve, Circuit, University of Texas School of Law Locations: New Orleans

☆ Tesla is sued over air pollution from factory operations in Fremont, California
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla is being sued by the nonprofit Environmental Democracy Project, which alleges "ongoing failure to comply with the Clean Air Act" at the electric vehicle company's assembly plant in Fremont, California. The latest lawsuit in California described Tesla's environmental violations as "ongoing" and said that residents and employees in the surrounding area have been exposed to "excess amounts of air pollution, including nitrogen oxides, arsenic, cadmium, and other harmful chemicals." The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, an environmental regulator, recently accused Tesla of allowing "unabated emissions" in Fremont that should have been prevented. Air pollution from the assembly plant is the result of equipment that frequently breaks down, allowing emissions to vent directly into the air without proper filtration, regulators have said. Additionally, Tesla employees or contractors have allegedly shut off air pollution controls in the factory, particularly when the company was having trouble with other paint shop equipment.

Persons: Tesla, Tesla's, Elon Musk, Musk Organizations: Democracy, Political Economy Research, University of Massachusetts, Environmental Protection Agency, Tesla, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, CNBC Locations: Fremont , California, San Francisco, Amherst, California, Germany, Berlin, Fremont

About 2,800 residents from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and about 450 residents from the Fort Nelson First Nation were asked to evacuate. Wildfire smoke has been linked to increases in certain cancers and heart-related issues, among other ailments. In 2023, 19 counties in 11 states had days with “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality — given at least a “code purple” alert on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index. Light rain showers were expected overnight Sunday with more rain forecast Monday, “which will help lower fire activity,” a Sunday update from Alberta Wildfire said. Fire restrictions will remain in effect in the area until conditions improve, according to Alberta Wildfire.

Persons: Parker, “, ” Ben Boghean, ” Cliff Chapman, Jaylene, Terry Cavaliere, ” Boghean, Paul, Crews Organizations: CNN, BC Wildfire Service, Northern Rockies Regional, Fort Nelson, Wildfire, Northern Rockies, Fort Nelson First Nation, Environment Canada, Canadian Interagency Fire Centre, Air, Environmental Protection Agency, US, Protection, British Columbia, Alberta, Reuters Residents, Estates, Lake Estates, Fort McMurray, Alberta Wildfire Locations: British Columbia, Fort Nelson, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, Parker, Fort, Canada, Maryland, Alberta, Fort McMurray, Saskatchewan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Minneapolis, St, United States, British, Grande Prairie Forest, TeePee Creek , Alberta, Regional, Wood Buffalo, Lake

The Major Supreme Court Cases of 2024No Supreme Court term in recent memory has featured so many cases with the potential to transform American society. In 2015, the Supreme Court limited the sweep of the statute at issue in the case, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. In 2023, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked efforts to severely curb access to the pill, mifepristone, as an appeal moved forward. A series of Supreme Court decisions say that making race the predominant factor in drawing voting districts violates the Constitution. The difference matters because the Supreme Court has said that only racial gerrymandering may be challenged in federal court under the Constitution.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Anderson, Sotomayor Jackson Kagan, Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas, Salmon, “, ”, Mr, Nixon, Richard M, privilege.But, Fitzgerald, Vance, John G, Roberts, Fischer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Clarence Thomas, Samuel A, Alito Jr, Alito, ’, Moyle, Wade, Roe, Johnson, Robinson, Moody, Paxton, Robins, Media Murthy, Sullivan, Murthy, Biden, Harrington, Sackler, Alexander, Jan, Raimondo, ” Paul D, Clement, Dodd, Frank, Homer, Cargill Organizations: Harvard, Stanford, University of Texas, Trump, Liberal, Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative, Colorado, Former, Trump v . United, United, Sarbanes, Oxley, U.S, Capitol, Drug Administration, Alliance, Hippocratic, Jackson, Health, Supreme, Labor, New York, Homeless, Miami Herald, Media, Biden, National Rifle Association, Rifle Association of America, New York State, Purdue Pharma, . South Carolina State Conference of, Federal, Loper Bright Enterprises, . Department of Commerce, Chevron, Natural Resources Defense, ”, SCOTUSPoll, Consumer Financial, Community Financial Services Association of America, Securities, Exchange Commission, Exchange, Occupational Safety, Commission, Lucia v . Securities, Federal Trade Commission, Internal Revenue Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Social Security Administration, National Labor Relations Board, Air Pollution Ohio, Environmental, Guns Garland, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, National Firearms, Gun Control Locations: Colorado, Trump v . United States, United States, Nixon, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Dobbs v, Idaho, Roe, Texas, States, New, New York, Grants, Oregon, . California, Martin v, Boise, Boise , Idaho, Missouri, Parkland, Fla, Murthy v . Missouri, . Missouri, ., South Carolina, Alabama, SCOTUSPoll, Lucia v, Western

☆ Waste-management facilities are using AI to turn trash into recycled treasure
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Leila Jordan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The company's software, installed at waste-management sorting facilities, uses artificial intelligence to identify misplaced materials in waste streams. Greyparrot devices also catalog what enters the facility so that waste-facility managers can better understand what they're collecting. Data is transforming the way waste-management facilities operateSince 2020, the UK waste-management company Grundon has been using Greyparrot devices in three of its facilities. GreyparrotGrundon's feedback also led to updates in the Greyparrot device's capabilities. AI development is also promising a brighter future for waste-management facilities and their perception.

Persons: Steven Cohen, Druckman, Greyparrot, Grundon, Owen George, George, Cohen Organizations: Service, Columbia University, Environmental Protection Agency, Bollegraaf Locations: United Kingdom, South Korea, United States, Grundon

☆ Cartier tried to stop a man from buying $13,600 earrings for $13 after a website typo, but he got them anyway
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Amanda Krause | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewRogelio Villarreal Jasso got extremely lucky when he found heavily discounted Cartier earrings online. On December 1, 2023, the Mexico native noticed an Instagram advertisement for gold-and-diamond Cartier earrings priced at 232 pesos, or about $13, he told Business Insider. AdvertisementThe Cartier earrings purchased by Rogelio Villarreal Jasso. After being contacted by the agency, Cartier seemingly took matters into its own hands and settled the issue by sending Jasso his order. "It is more important to be honorable than to have Cartier earrings," she wrote.

Persons: —, Rogelio Villarreal Jasso, Cartier, Jasso, Champagne, Lilly Téllez Organizations: Service, Business, Federal, The New York Times, The Times, Times Locations: Mexico, Cartier's Mexico

☆ Opinion: Small-town water systems are global cyber targets. Is your city next?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Opinion Robert M. Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The town of Abernathy also reported a water system hack, and the towns of Lockney and Hale Center said hackers tried to breach their water infrastructure but did not succeed. Unlike how David was ready to take on Goliath, our most vulnerable critical infrastructure systems – including water infrastructure – are ill-prepared. The water attacks we’ve seen so far have not had serious consequences for the people they serve. According to the EPA, 90% of the nation’s community water systems are small, public systems bringing water to 10,000 or fewer customers. If we really want to help water utilities defend against cyber threats, we have to close the resource gap.

Persons: Robert M, Lee Dragos, David, we’ve, –, Iran –, Homeland Security’s Organizations: CNN, Cyber Army, Hale Center, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, FBI, Rehabilitation, Government, Department, Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Homeland, Local Locations: Russia, Texas, Muleshoe, Abernathy, Lockney, Aliquippa , Pennsylvania, United States, China, North Korea, Iran, Department of Homeland Security’s State

One of the architects of that plan for a Trump second term said as much in a video last year for the Heritage Foundation. Reissuing Schedule F is part of a roadmap, known as Project 2025, drafted for a second Trump term by scores of conservative groups and published by the Heritage Foundation. The new rules would not fully block reclassifying workers in a second Trump term. Greene said she worries for federal workers who might face the same choice in a second Trump term. The project includes a personnel database for potential hires in a second Trump administration.

Persons: Donald Trump, it’s, —, Trump, Joe Biden, Donald Moynihan, Georgetown University's, ” Donald Moynihan, ” Moynihan, “ It’s, ”, Russell Vought, “, you’re, Doreen Greenwald, Moynihan, Kenneth Baer, Barack Obama, ” Kenneth Baer, Peter Orszag, Pete Souza, Robert Shea, Eva Shea, George W, Bush, Laura Bush, Tina Hager, ” Biden, Baer, George Frey, ” Trump, Max Stier, Verna Daniels, ” Daniels, Catherine Greene, ” Greene, Tom Bewick, NIFA, ” Bewick, we’ll, Greene, Biden, “ We’ve, He’s, Hillary Clinton, he’d, James Comey, Bill Barr, Barr, Jeffrey Clark, Clark, Mark Meadows, Stephen Miller, Peter Navarro, he’ll Organizations: CNN, United, Republican, Democratic, Trump, ”, Georgetown, Georgetown University's McCourt School, Public, Georgetown University, Heritage Foundation, Management, Budget, of Justice, FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, Vought, National Treasury Employees Union, OMB, White, Personnel Management, Land Management, Department of Agriculture, Kansas City, Partnership for Public Service, Government, Office, GAO, Economic Research Service, National Institute of Food, Agriculture, USDA, National Institute for Food, NIFA, Applied Economics Association, BLM, Getty, Department of Justice, Justice Department, Univision, Justice, Department, U.S . Justice, Center, Washington Post, National Security and Intelligence, of Homeland Security, of Education and Commerce, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission Locations: United States, Washington, Georgetown, , Colorado, DC, Kansas, Colorado, Virginia, America, Grand Junction, Washington ,, New York City, New York, Georgia

☆ Opinion | I’m a Young Conservative, and I Want My Party to Lead the Fight Against Climate Change
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Benji Backer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Not that long ago, Republican presidents were carrying out the Clean Air and Water Acts, creating the Environmental Protection Agency, expanding the National Park System and even initiating the country’s most authoritative report on climate change, the National Climate Assessment. Many of today’s Republican leaders stoke fear and anger by mocking the most divisive climate activists while claiming that every environmental solution is a radical one. If they’re not doing that, Republicans can often be found on the sidelines and disengaged from the issue completely. Instead of continuing the environmental legacy they were once known for, they have ceded the fight against climate change to Democrats, putting themselves on the wrong side of history. In other words, Donald Trump’s denial of climate change probably cost him the White House.

Persons: they’re, Biden, Donald Trump’s, Gavin Newsom Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, Park System, Republican, stoke, University of Colorado, Democratic Party, Green Locations: Boulder, California

☆ This startup helps plants talk to farmers, reducing pesticides and agricultural waste
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

What if plants could talk to farmers and tell them when they're distressed? That would not only help the plants but also reduce the amount of agricultural waste that threatens the planet's health. Now companies like SatAgro, Climate FieldView, and a California-based startup called InnerPlant are working to reduce agricultural waste. From that signal, farmers know what to treat, meaning they don't waste money on chemicals, which are over-applied by up to 30%, Aronov said. In addition to Bison Ventures, InnerPlant is backed by John Deere, MS&AD Ventures, UpWest VC and Bee Partners.

Persons: Shely Aronov, Aronov, InnerPlant, Tom Biegala, John Deere, Lisa Rizzolo Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Food, Agriculture, Bison Ventures, InnerPlant, AD Ventures, UpWest, Bee Partners, CNBC Locations: California, North America, South America

☆ New Biden Climate Rules Could Shutter Remaining American Coal Plants
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Lisa Friedman | Coral Davenport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration on Thursday placed the final cornerstone of its plan to tackle climate change: a regulation that would force the nation’s coal-fired power plants to virtually eliminate the planet-warming pollution that they release into the air or shut down. The regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency requires coal plants in the United States to reduce 90 percent of their greenhouse pollution by 2039, one year earlier than the agency had initially proposed. The compressed timeline was welcomed by climate activists but condemned by coal executives who said the new standards would be impossible to meet. also imposed three additional regulations on coal-burning power plants, including stricter limits on emissions of mercury, a neurotoxin linked to developmental damage in children, from plants that burn lignite coal, the lowest grade of coal. The rules also more tightly restrict the seepage of toxic ash from coal plants into water supplies and limit the discharge of wastewater from coal plants.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Environmental, Agency Locations: United States

☆ Five Things to Know About Biden’s New Power Plant Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Coral Davenport | Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The most consequential of the new rules is aimed at nearly eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from the coal plants. Once implemented, the rules are widely expected to result in the shuttering of nearly all the nation’s remaining coal plants by 2040. Here’s what to know about President Biden’s new moves to clean up coal power. There is no widely used technology available to substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plant smokestacks. The cheapest way to comply may be to just shut down the nation’s roughly 200 remaining coal plants.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency Locations: America, United States

☆ E.P.A. Will Make Polluters Pay to Clean Up Two ‘Forever Chemicals’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Coral Davenport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration is designating two “forever chemicals,” man-made compounds that are linked to serious health risks, as hazardous substances under the Superfund law, shifting responsibility for their cleanup to polluters from taxpayers. The compounds, found in everything from dental floss to firefighting foams to children’s toys, are called forever chemicals because they degrade very slowly and can accumulate in the body and the environment. The chemicals are so ubiquitous that they can be detected in the blood of almost every person in the United States. One recent government study discovered PFAS chemicals in nearly half of the nation’s tap water. found the chemicals could cause harm at levels “much lower than previously understood” and that almost no level of exposure was safe.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency Locations: United States

☆ EPA designates two ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous substances
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Mira Cheng | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US Environmental Protection Agency designated two widely used “forever chemicals” as hazardous substances under the United States’ Superfund law on Friday. This ruling will allow the EPA to investigate and clean up leaks and spills of these harmful chemicals, according to the official news release. Exposure to “forever chemicals” has been linked to cancers, heart and liver disease and immune and developmental damage to infants and children, according to the news release. There are more than 12,000 forms of PFAS chemicals in the environment. The designation comes just weeks after the EPA announced new limits for “forever chemicals” in drinking water in the United States.

Persons: Michael S, Regan, Dr, David Andrews, ”, Sanjay Gupta, ” Lisa Frank, Harris, CNN’s Jen Christensen Organizations: CNN, Environmental Protection Agency, United, EPA, Environmental, CNN Health, PIRG, Fund, Environment America Research, Policy, Biden Locations: United States, U.S, Washington

☆ Russia-linked hacking group suspected of carrying out cyberattack on Texas water facility, cybersecurity firm says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A hacking group with ties to the Russian government is suspected of carrying out a cyberattack in January that caused a tank at a Texas water facility to overflow, experts from US cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Wednesday. Muleshoe officials replaced the hacked software system and took other steps to secure the network, Sanchez said. “Regulations have not required this low-hanging fruit to be addressed,” Serino told CNN. “I’ve never experienced this before but … we’re aware that those threats are out there,” Poling told CNN by phone. “The haphazardness is part of their pathological emphasis on psychological impact,” Dan Black, a Mandiant analyst, told CNN.

Persons: Mandiant, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Ramon Sanchez, Sanchez, ”, Gus Serino, ” Serino, ” Anne Neuberger, ” The, Harris, Neuberger, Buster Poling, Mike Cypert, Poling, “ I’ve, ” Poling, Nick Conger, Sandworm, ” Dan Black Organizations: CNN, FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, White, ” The Biden, Hale Center, Russian Embassy, State of, GRU, “ Locations: Texas, US, Muleshoe, Pennsylvania, Iran, United States, Russian, Ukraine, Lockney’s, Hale, Washington ,, State of Texas

☆ Activists helped shut down an oil refinery after a series of explosions. The consequences weren’t what they expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Philadelphia CNN —Bilal Motley, utilities manager at a former Philadelphia oil refinery, was working the graveyard shift when a massive explosion broke out in the early morning hours of June 21, 2019. “This oil refinery was talked about and passed down through generations,” Sanders said. Rachael WarrinerPES is no longer functioning as a refining company, but Sunoco, whose subsidiary Evergreen owned the former PES site, did not respond to requests for comment. The PES refinery complex was the largest source of particulate air pollution in Philadelphia. Hilco Redevelopment PartnersBut UPenn’s Neises said given the scale and history of the property, Hilco will need to take its time to redevelop the area of redevelopment.

Persons: Philadelphia CNN — Bilal Motley, I’m, ” Motley, ’, ”, Motley, trekked, Hilco, Ellen Neises, they’ll, Sonya Sanders, Sanders, ” Sanders, “, Rachael Warriner, Rachel Ramirez, Phil Rinaldi, Matt Rourke, Mike Smith, ” Roberto Perez, Amelia Chasse Alcivar, UPenn’s Neises, Neises, she’s, you’re, Philly Thrive’s Sanders, there’s Organizations: Philadelphia CNN, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, US Chemical Safety, Hazard Investigation, Hilco, Partners, CNN, University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman, of Design, longtime, Evergreen, PES, Environmental Protection Agency, Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, Philadelphia International Airport, City of, City of Philadelphia Refinery Advisory, Hilco Redevelopment Partners, Industrial Realty, ., Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining, United Steelworkers Union, Oil Bargaining, EPA, “ Locations: Philadelphia, East, Schuylkill, New York City, Chicago, longtime South Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, Grays Ferry, Breeze, City of Philadelphia, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Bellwether District, ”, Bellwether

☆ E.P.A. Says ‘Forever Chemicals’ Must Be Removed From Tap Water
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For the first time, the Biden administration is requiring municipal water systems to remove six synthetic chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems that are present in the tap water of hundreds of millions of Americans. The extraordinary move from the Environmental Protection Agency mandates that water providers reduce perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS, to near-zero levels. The compounds, found in everything from dental floss to firefighting foams to children’s toys, are called “forever chemicals” because they never fully degrade and can accumulate in the body and the environment. The chemicals are so ubiquitous that they can be found in the blood of almost every person in the United States. A 2023 government study of private wells and public water systems detected PFAS chemicals in nearly half the tap water in the country.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Environmental, Agency Locations: United States

☆ How to limit PFAS in your drinking water and food, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“It would be about 25 years before all the PFAS leave your body.”Testing your waterWhat can consumers do right now to limit the levels of PFAS in their drinking water? Filtering your waterIf PFAS levels are concerning, consumers can purchase an under-the-counter water filter for their tap. “The water filters that are most effective for PFAS are reverse osmosis filters, which are more expensive, about in the $200 range,” Andrews said. Reverse osmosis filters can remove a wide range of contaminants, including dissolved solids, by forcing water through various filters. PFAS in food and your homeDrinking water is not the only way PFAS enters the bloodstream.

Persons: Melanie Benesh, “, ” Jane Hoppin, ”, Andrews, PFAS, ” Andrews Organizations: CNN, Environmental Protection Agency, Geological Survey, Environmental, ”, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Center for Human Health, Environment, North Carolina State University, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation, EWG, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Research, Education, Community Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Locations: United States, polluters, Raleigh, Texas

☆ New EPA limits on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water could cost $1.5 billion to implement
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Lindsey Jacobson | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Signage is seen at the headquarters of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, released long-awaited regulations Wednesday on some toxic "forever chemicals" found in drinking water. The bonds are incredibly strong and take a very long time to break down, earning them the nickname "forever chemicals." The EPA's new final rule sets limits on 5 individual PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (also known as GenX Chemicals.) The EPA also set a Hazard Index level for PFAS when two or more of four are mixed: PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA, and PFBS.

Persons: Tom Neltner Organizations: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington , D.C, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, CNBC, Environmental Defense, Safer Chemicals, . Geological Survey, GenX Chemicals Locations: Washington ,

☆ Environmental Protection Agency Limits Pollution From Chemical Plants
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

More than 200 chemical plants across the country will be required to curb the toxic pollutants they release into the air under a regulation announced by the Biden administration on Tuesday. The regulation is aimed at reducing the risk of cancer for people living near industrial sites. This is the first time in nearly two decades that the government has tightened limits on pollution from chemical plants. The new rule, from the Environmental Protection Agency, specifically targets ethylene oxide, which is used to sterilize medical devices, and chloroprene, which is used to make rubber in footwear. They are considered a top health concern in an area of Louisiana so dense with petrochemical and refinery plants that it is known as Cancer Alley.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Louisiana

☆ Toxic ‘forever’ chemicals found in excessive levels in global groundwater, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are found in surface and groundwaters around the world at levels much higher than many international regulators allow, a new study found. Groundwater can be contaminated by PFAS from food and consumer products added to landfills as well as from manufacturing facilities. Public concern led to a commitment by manufacturers in 2008 to phase out use of PFOA and PFOS, two of the most widely used chemicals. Generally PFAS concentrations are higher in urban areas or areas that used PFAS products extensively, O’Connell said, but it is also leached into the environment in ways that may not be obvious. “Another example is that PFAS used to be used in ski wax, so pristine environments, where people ski, have PFAS in their waters and soils,” he said.

Persons: Mario Tama, ”, David Andrews, Andrews, ” Andrews, “, Denis O’Connell, O’Connell, ” O’Connell Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, EPA, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine . Studies, Environmental, Agency, Toxic Substances, Disease, Nature, University of New, Geological Survey, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation Locations: Mount Everest, Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney

☆ Richard Benedick, Negotiator of Landmark Ozone Treaty, Dies at 88
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Trip Gabriel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A May 1985 report in the journal Nature was alarming. High above Antarctica, a massive hole had opened in the ozone shield that protects life on earth from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The finding confirmed what scientists had warned of since the 1970s: Atmospheric ozone was being broken down by the wide use of chlorofluorocarbons, chemicals known as CFCs, which were found in aerosol sprays, refrigeration and air conditioning. Just over two years later, dozens of nations meeting in Montreal signed an agreement to significantly reduce CFCs, which the Environmental Protection Agency estimated would prevent 27 million deaths from skin cancers. “This is perhaps the most historically significant international environmental agreement,” Richard E. Benedick, the chief United States negotiator, said at the time.

Persons: ” Richard E Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Antarctica, Montreal, States

☆ Could decaf coffee cause cancer? Experts weigh in
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Here’s what experts and the FDA say about this clause in the modern context, and what you should know about the safety of decaf coffee. “There is more information on the toxicity of methylene chloride and the levels at which it causes this toxicity,” she added. Then there is the Swiss Water Process, which decaffeinates the beans by soaking them in warm water. The Clean Label Project, an organization that tests consumer products for hidden industrial and environmental contaminants, has detected methylene chloride in several brands of coffee. What you can do nowWhether or not the FDA eventually bans methylene chloride is a decision that could take years.

Persons: Maria, Monique Richard, ”, Richard, wasn’t, ” Richard, Richard said, Dunkin Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, National Institutes of Health’s, Toxicology Program, Environmental Protection Agency, World Health Organization, Environmental Defense Fund, FDA, US Centers for Disease Control, EPA, Federal Food, Nutrition, maté Locations: California, Tennessee

☆ Common flame retardants linked to deaths from cancer in people, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Flame retardants added for decades to thousands of consumer products in the United States may raise the risk of dying from cancer, according to new research. “The new study links PBDEs to deaths from cancer, building a case for the association between flame retardants and cancer mortality being real,” said Trasande, who researches the impact of plastics, flame retardants and other chemicals on children. Flame retardant chemicals also can pass to developing fetuses via the placenta and to newborns through breast milk, past research has found. In some cases, the industry has replaced these chemicals with newer phosphorus-based flame retardants, Trasande said, adding that researchers are now concerned these chemicals may be linked to cancer as well. When reupholstering older couches or chairs, be sure to replace the old foam with flame retardant-free foam.

Persons: Leonardo Trasande, ”, Trasande, ” Trasande, Tasha Stoiber, EWG Organizations: CNN, National Health, JAMA, NYU Langone Health, US Centers for Disease Control, Manufacturers, US Environmental Protection Agency, CDC, Environmental Locations: United States, PBDEs, New York City

☆ New Pollution Rules Aim to Lift Sales of Electric Trucks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Coral Davenport | Jack Ewing | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration on Friday announced a regulation designed to turbocharge sales of electric or other zero-emission heavy vehicles, from school buses to cement mixers, as part of its multifront attack on global warming. Today, fewer than 2 percent of new heavy trucks sold in the United States fit that bill. The regulation would apply to more than 100 types of vehicles including tractor-trailers, ambulances, R.V.s, garbage trucks and moving vans. The rule does not mandate the sales of electric trucks or any other type of zero or low-emission truck. Options could include using technologies like hybrids or hydrogen fuel cells or sharply increasing the fuel efficiency of the conventional trucks.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency Locations: United States

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