cancer

A legal settlement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the town containing the census tract with the worst air pollution in the country could significantly reduce harmful emissions in the area known as “Cancer Alley.”  The proposed agreement was posted on the Federal Register Tuesday and would settle two lawsuits brought by members […]

Last year, a dozen oil refineries in the U.S. exceeded the federal maximum level for average emissions of the highly toxic carcinogen benzene, according to a new report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). Five of the refineries were in Texas, four in Louisiana, one in Indiana, one in Pennsylvania and one in the U.S. […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating whether the Louisiana state departments of Environmental Quality and Health illegally discriminated against black residents in permitting decisions regarding two chemical plants and a grain export terminal. Petitions to the EPA seeking an investigation allege the state departments failed to provide proper notice and comment opportunities to […]

Phthalates, known as “everywhere chemicals” or plasticizers, have been linked to an increased risk in childhood cancer, a new study finds. These chemicals are widely used in consumer products and increase the durability or consistency of plastic. Researchers at the University of Vermont Cancer Center measured gestational and childhood exposures to phthalates and compared them […]

After a week-long environmental justice trip to Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana in November, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan announced that the EPA will address residents’ complaints about contaminated drinking water, chemical plants placed close to residences and a school and toxic air, The Washington Post reported. Regan said the EPA will invest […]

Nearly three-quarters of water- and stain-resistant products contain toxic forever chemicals, a new report has found.  Public health and environmental organization Toxic-Free Future tested 60 products from 10 major retailers. Of 47 products labeled stain-or water-resistant, 72 percent of them tested positive for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals known for their persistence in the […]

A new report from the CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) noted high levels of a forever chemical called PFHxS in the blood of people in Berkeley County, West Virginia. The report found the chemical, which is used in firefighting foam, in the blood of residents in a community located […]

New research has revealed the presence of toxic forever chemicals in yet another product: the anti-fogging sprays and cloths that people are using more and more frequently to keep their glasses from clouding over while wearing face masks. A Duke University-led research team found two types of under-studied per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in nine of the top-rated anti-fogging sprays and cloths sold on Amazon.