Friday, June 22, 2018

The Water Crisis the Trump Administration Didn’t Want You to Know About

Water fillig glass (Credit: Martin Bernetti / AFP / Getty Images) Click to Enlarge.
As you go about your daily business, you’re surrounded by compounds called perfluoroalkyls, or PFAS.  They’re used in carpeting, food packaging, clothing, pots and pans, and the foam firefighters use to douse flames, to name a few.  That’s because PFAS are resistant to heat, water, and oil.  They’re incredibly helpful!  They’re also toxic.

According to a major study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, the EPA has seriously underestimated how much of this stuff human beings can safely be exposed to.  The major takeaway?  PFAS have thoroughly contaminated many of the nation’s water sources, and they are associated with cancer, liver damage, fertility issues, and more — even in small doses.  The study is the most fleshed-out assessment of information on PFAS to date, and it found that the EPA’s exposure limits should be 10 times lower than they are now.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the study’s findings, here’s the story behind why EPA chief Scott Pruitt and the White House wanted to block its publication in the first place.

White House emails from earlier this year show that the Trump administration was worried the study would cause a “public relations nightmare,” and Pruitt’s aides intervened to block the report.  An unnamed White House aide also said, “The impact to EPA and [the Defense Department] is going to be extremely painful,” according to a report in Politico last month.

Read more at The Water Crisis the Trump Administration Didn’t Want You to Know About

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