DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Three major chemical companies on Friday said they would pay more than $1 billion to settle the first in a wave of claims that they and other companies contaminated drinking water across the country with so-called forever chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other illnesses. The companies — Chemours, DuPont and Corteva — said they had reached an agreement in principle to set up a $1.19 billion fund to help remove toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from public drinking water systems. Bloomberg News also reported on Friday that 3M had reached a tentative deal worth “at least $10 billion” with U.S. cities and towns to resolve related PFAS claims. Sean Lynch, a spokesman for 3M, declined to comment on the report, which cited people familiar with the deal without naming them. They have sought billions of dollars in damages to deal with the health impacts and the cost of cleaning up and monitoring polluted sites.

Persons: —, Corteva —, “, Sean Lynch Organizations: DuPont, Bloomberg News, 3M

☆ 3M reaches tentative pollution settlement of at least $10 bln - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 2 (Reuters) - 3M Co (MMM.N) has struck a tentative settlement of at least $10 billion with a host of U.S. cities and towns to resolve water pollution claims tied to "forever chemicals", Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of 3M were up about 9% in afternoon trade. Last month, the Dutch government said it would hold 3M liable for polluting the Western Scheldt river with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - dubbed "forever chemicals" because they can last thousands of years in nature without degrading. 3M did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report. Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Priyamvada, Devika Organizations: Bloomberg, Chemours, DuPont de Nemours Inc, Corteva Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, perfluoroalkyl, Bengaluru

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: SentinelOne, Lululemon, Dupont and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

SentinelOne — Shares fell more than 35% in premarket trading after cybersecurity company missed revenue expectations for the first quarter and cut its full-year revenue guidance. The company reported first-quarter revenue of $133.4 million, below the consensus estimate of $136.6 million from FactSet. It sees just $141 million in revenue for the second quarter, well below the $152.1 million consensus estimate from FactSet. ChargePoint said revenue would be between $148 million and $158 million this quarter, below the consensus estimate of $165.6 million from FactSet. Asana's revenue last period was $152.4 million,compared to the analyst consensus of $150.5 million from FactSet.

Persons: MongoDB, Lululemon, Dupont De, Corteva, Morgan Stanley, ChargePoint, PagerDuty, CNBC's Hakyung Kim, Jesse Pound, Yun Li Organizations: Dupont De Nemours —, Chemours, U.S . Water Systems, Bloomberg Locations: Canadian, U.S, China, FactSet

☆ Chemical makers settle PFAS-related claims for $1.19 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The companies, which deny the allegations, said that they expect to finalize a formal agreement by the second quarter of 2023. Chemours said it would contribute half the agreed amount, while the remainder would be provided by DuPont and Corteva. A first trial testing those claims against 3M Co. is scheduled to begin next week. Chemours, DuPont and Corteva were originally included as defendants in that trial, but Gergel removed them from the proceedings last month. The companies also face claims in other courts raised by individuals and by state attorneys general in California, Maryland, Washington and elsewhere.

Persons: Chemours, Richard Gergel, Gergel, Sourasis Bose, Clark Mindock, Shounak Dasgupta, Vinay Dwivedi, Alexia Garamfalvi, Sharon Singleton Organizations: DuPont de Nemours Inc, Corteva Inc, DuPont, Corteva, 3M, U.S, District, Thomson Locations: U.S, South, California , Maryland, Washington, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Lululemon, SentinelOne, T-Mobile, MongoDB and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

MongoDB — Shares of the data developer rocketed 28% after the company forecast strong fiscal first-quarter earnings and boosted its full-year guidance. The company cited macroeconomic pressure as a contributor to slowing sales growth in a shareholder letter and cut its full-year revenue guidance. PagerDuty — Shares slumped 17.1% after the IT cloud company issued second-quarter revenue guidance that missed expectations. Samsara — The cloud company popped nearly 28% after reporting a smaller-than-expected first-quarter loss and lifting its full-year sales guidance. That's above the expected loss of 5 cents a share and $191.9 million in revenue, according to FactSet.

Persons: Lululemon, Amazon, MongoDB, Wall, SentinelOne, Dupont, Dupont de Nemours, Zscaler, Morgan Stanley, PagerDuty, StreetAccount, Dell, Ginkgo, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Yun Li, Hakyung Kim, Brian Evans, Alex Harring Organizations: Wireless, Bloomberg News, Verizon, Mobile, Amazon, Dish, Broadcom —, Broadcom, Bank of America, Dupont de, DuPont, U.S . Water Systems, Stifel Locations: New York

A fountain at Hermon High School in Maine is taped shut after the water tested over the state's safety limit for PFAS chemicals. The school's water recently tested above the state's safety limit for PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often referred to as "forever chemicals." According to the Environmental Protection Agency, even tiny exposure to PFAS in drinking water could pose a serious health risk. Hermon High School is just one example of PFAS contamination currently affecting the community, according to Maine's attorney general, Aaron Frey. The company also expressed a commitment to remediate PFAS contamination, invest in water treatment and collaborate with communities.

Persons: Stephen King —, Micah Grant, Grant, Aaron Frey, Frey, Farmer Adam Nordell, " Frey, Wisconsin —, they've, they're, Scott Gottlieb, Gottlieb, —, du Pont, du Pont de Nemours, Corteva Agriscience, Corteva, Chemours, Deane Dray, Dray, Ben Brewer, It's, 3M's, Eric Rucker, Biden, Gianna Kinsman, Kinsman, PFAS Organizations: Hermon High School, CNBC, Hermon School, Environmental Protection Agency, CNBC Maine, DuPont, 3M, Centers for Disease Control, FDA, Manufacturers, du Pont de, Chemours, Dow, State, RBC Capital Markets, 3M Global, Bloomberg, Getty, RBC Capital, Law, Capstone, Republican, Biden Locations: Bangor , Maine, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Alaska , California , Colorado , Delaware, Florida , Illinois , Michigan, Minnesota , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York, North Carolina , Ohio, Vermont, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Delaware, Stuart , Florida, Stuart, Maplewood , Minnesota

☆ How Much Can a Water Filter Do?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act, though, other water-monitoring issues have arisen. He gave the example of nitrate, an agricultural pollutant that’s present in the water supply in Des Moines. While the local water treatment plant takes steps to remove the contaminant, there are questions about whether the allowable levels could still cause health harms. In several of the recent crises, contamination occurred when lead leached into the water as it traveled through the distribution pipes. National regulations about the amount of lead permitted in pipes have been strengthened over the years, but many old water distribution systems have not been updated and contain unsafe levels.

Kidde-Fenwal filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court. Kidde-Fenwal sold AFFF foam products from 2007 to 2013, according to court documents. Kidde-Fenwal does not make AFFF products, but it previously sold AFFF products through a subsidiary called National Foam. 3M, a central defendant in the AFFF lawsuits, has said it would stop producing PFAS by 2025. The case is In re Kidde-Fenwal Inc, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, No.

LAKE ELMO, Minn.—Inside a locked storage container near the Twin Cities, 200 gallons of concentrated PFAS await an executioner. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency harvested the chemicals from a nearby aquifer and has invited companies to demonstrate an array of destructive technologies on samples of the liquid. The goal is to kill the PFAS, which have been linked to cancer and other health problems, by dicing up molecules that have some of the strongest bonds on Earth.

☆ Youth climate activists plan to protest the biggest social event for Washington's political-media class
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On Saturday, the group plans to blockade the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC. So the White House Correspondents' Association dinner is an appropriate target, Salamon said. The White House did not return requests for comment. Haught acknowledged she had little political choice because GOP candidates have shown paltry interest in prioritizing climate action. "If you're putting your body on the line and risking a record of arrest, that shows you're serious," Haught said.

☆ EPA Missing Scale, Scope of PFAS in Drinking Water, Study Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Kris Maher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-standards-miss-many-chemicals-in-drinking-water-study-says-eb748826

☆ Health experts call for a ban on toxic 'forever chemicals' after EPA moves to cut them from tap water
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Toxic PFAS, aka "forever chemicals," are in water, food, furniture, and clothes across the US. The EPA's new proposal to limit the substances in drinking water is a step in the right direction. On Tuesday the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed strict limits on six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The chemicals are prolific in everyday human environments — in our water, food, air, and even the dust in our homes. That means more and more of them are getting into the environment — and drinking water — every day.

☆ The New York Times News Quiz, March 17, 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For the first time, the U.S. government will require utilities to remove from drinking water two toxic “forever chemicals,” part of a class of chemicals known as PFAS. About how many Americans are estimated to be exposed to PFAS through tap water?

Hazardous "forever chemicals" called PFAS are in most Americans' blood, and they don't break down. One simple chart shows how long PFAS last in human bodies, compared to substances like caffeine or lead. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of thousands of human-made chemicals, which are likely in your food, water, clothes, and furniture. "Once they get into your body, they stick around for a really, really long time," Carmen Messerlian, an environmental epidemiologist who studies PFAS at Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health, told Insider. That research tells us how long PFAS can linger in our blood, compared to toxic heavy metals or everyday substances like caffeine.

☆ How ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are All Around Us, From Winter Coats to Fast-Food Wrappers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jemal R. Brinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing the first federal limits for six PFAS chemicals in drinking water. The chemicals have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide for more than 70 years because of their ability to resist water, grease and stains and to put out fires. PFAS, also dubbed forever chemicals, have been found in firefighting foam, drinking water, fast-food containers, dental floss, landfills, hazardous waste sites, manufacturing or chemical-production facilities, fish caught from contaminated water and dairy products from livestock exposed to the chemicals.

☆ What to Know About ‘Forever Chemicals’ and Your Health
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Nidhi Subbaraman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the eight decades since they were created, so-called forever chemicals have reached remote corners of the Arctic and been detected in the open ocean and the tissue of animal species as diverse as polar bears and pilot whales. Also known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, they can stay in the environment for years without breaking down.

☆ EPA Proposes Regulations for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Kris Maher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Known as forever chemicals because they take a long time to break down, PFAS have been found throughout the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on so-called forever chemicals in public drinking water, a move that is expected to cost water utilities billions of dollars to filter out substances that have contaminated the water supplies of millions of people. The agency is proposing maximum allowable levels in the nation’s public drinking-water systems for two compounds in a class of chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which were used for decades in carpeting, clothing, food packaging, firefighting foam and other consumer and industrial products. The EPA also said it would regulate four other PFAS chemicals by requiring treatment if the combined level reaches a certain concentration.

☆ EPA Proposes Limits for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Kris Maher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Known as forever chemicals because they take a long time to break down, PFAS have been found throughout the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on so-called forever chemicals in public drinking water, a move that is expected to cost water utilities billions of dollars to filter out substances that have contaminated the water supplies of millions of people. The EPA is proposing maximum allowable levels for two compounds in a class of chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Known as forever chemicals because they take a long time to break down, they were used for decades in carpeting, clothing, food packaging, firefighting foam and other consumer and industrial products.

☆ EPA cracks down on 'forever chemicals' in tap water: What PFAS are, where they are, and why they're harmful
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The US Environmental Protection Agency just released a proposal for enforceable standards for six PFAS compounds in drinking water. The new EPA proposal would set the threshold for those two substances at 4 nanograms per liter of drinking water. It also proposes a "hazard index" to set a limit on the combined quantity of four other PFAS in drinking water: PFNA, GenX, PFBS, and PFHxS. Communities across the US have especially high PFAS contamination in their drinking water, often due to a nearby industrial or military facility. "You can't just regulate in drinking water, without addressing the other side," Sunderland said, adding that you have to "turn off the source."

☆ Hazardous 'forever chemicals' in water, food, and air won't disappear with new EPA rules. But 6 simple tactics can reduce your exposure at home.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Hazardous "forever chemicals" called PFAS are contaminating drinking water, food, and air. It may be impossible to completely avoid PFAS, but there are a few simple ways to reduce your exposure. A 2019 study found that people had lower PFAS levels in their blood after eating at home, and higher levels after eating fast food or at restaurants. A few types of water filters can diminish PFAS levels, though they may not completely remove the chemicals from the water. It was previously updated to reflect disagreements in the scientific community about the degree of PFAS exposure from Teflon.

☆ Biden proposes first national limits on toxic 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first nationwide restrictions on so-called "forever chemicals" in drinking water after discovering the compounds are more dangerous than previously known — even at undetectable levels. The chemicals, known as perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been voluntarily phased out by U.S. manufacturers. The EPA's proposed standards cover six PFAS that have polluted drinking national water supplies. The proposal would regulate PFOA and PFOS as individual contaminants, and would regulate four other PFAS — PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX Chemicals — as a mixture. For PFOA and PFOS, the agency proposed a binding drinking water limit of four parts per trillion per chemical.

☆ U.S. proposes limits for cancer-causing chemicals in drinking water
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first-ever national drinking water standard for six cancer-causing chemicals known as polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Under the new standard, the agency will require public water systems to monitor for six PFAS chemicals, inform the public if PFAS levels exceed proposed standards in the drinking water supply, and take action to reduce PFAS levels. It is the first time since 1996 that drinking water standards have been proposed for a new chemical under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Environmental groups welcomed the new standards but said it was up to retailers and chemical companies to make a difference. "I’m looking forward to hearing from those who will be impacted by this announcement, including local water systems and ratepayers across the country, on how we can provide assistance for implementation," she said.

☆ Dangerous 'forever chemicals' were found in turf at the Philadelphia Phillies' old stadium after six former players died of same cancer, investigation finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Forever chemicals" were found in turf that was used in the Philadelphia Phillies' old stadium. The Inquirer was researching whether there was a link between the turf and ex-Phillies dying of brain cancer. The artificial turf was used for years and replaced several times at Veterans Stadium, where both the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies played from 1971 to 2003. The Phillies played their last game at the stadium in September 2003 and it was demolished in March 2004. The six former Phillies — Tug McGraw, Darren Daulton, John Vukovich, John Oates, Ken Brett, and David West — all died of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

☆ Animals full of PFAS 'forever chemicals' have been found on every continent except Antarctica, new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Animals, birds, and fish across the planet are contaminated with forever chemicals, a new report found. Though they're useful for resisting water, heat, and stains, PFAS do not break down in the environment, earning them the "forever chemicals" nickname. The new report suggests that contamination from forever chemicals may pose yet another threat to many species' survival. Cleaning up these emission sites is key to stopping more forever chemicals from building in the environment. "It will take regulatory action to move the entire market and country away from dependence on these chemicals," Andrews said.

☆ Olaplex customers just filed a lawsuit alleging hair loss. See how other consumer suits have played out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Olaplex has been sued by customers who alleged its products damaged their hair and scalp. Companies like Thinx, P&G, and Unilever have set aside millions of dollars to settle consumer suits. The suit's allegations follow a pattern familiar in other consumer lawsuits, which have also targeted companies' advertising and the ingredients in their products. In that case, customers said Devacurl's curly hair products contained ingredients that released formaldehyde and caused skin irritation, and said the company had quietly changed ingredients and formed a committee to handle negative publicity. Devacurl has said on its settlement website that it "vigorously denies" claims of health problems like hair loss and scalp problems.

Search resuls for: "PFAS"

25 mentions found