Marco Ravera · @marcoravera
69 followers · 451 posts · Server mastodon.uno
DoomsdaysCW · @DoomsdaysCW
1303 followers · 16938 posts · Server kolektiva.social

companies’ payouts are huge – but the problem is even bigger

, , and have agreed settlement in the billions for drinking with ‘forever chemicals’

by Tom Perkins, Aug 3, 2023

"“When the chemical giant 3M agreed in early June to pay up to $12.5bn to settle a lawsuit over PFAS contamination in water systems across the nation, it was hailed by attorneys as 'the largest drinking water settlement in American history', and viewed as a significant win for the public in the battle against toxic 'forever chemicals'.

“A second June settlement with the PFAS manufacturers DuPont, Chemours and Corteva tallied a hefty $1.1bn. But while the sums are impressive on their face, they represent just a fraction of the estimated $400bn some estimate will be needed to clean and protect the nation’s drinking water. Orange county, California, alone put the cost of cleaning its system at $1bn.

“‘While over a billion dollars is real money, it is a virtual drop in the bucket of potential utility costs to monitor, remove and dispose of these contaminants in accordance with anticipated federal regulations,' the American Municipal Water Association trade group said in a statement.

“Moreover, the two settlements include just over 6,000 water systems nationwide. Utilities that were not part of the suits but have PFAS in their systems can claim some of the settlement money, or they can sue the chemical manufacturers on their own.

“That means the settlements only represent the first wave of utility lawsuits to hit , legal observers say. Because PFAS are so widely used and the scale of their harm is so great, chemical makers will get hit from a range of legal angles, and some suspect the industry’s final bill could exceed the $200bn paid by in the 1990s.

“The number will be 'very large', said Kevin McKie, an attorney with the Environmental Litigation Group who represented a water management company in the 3M case. Though the 3M settlement does not cover all the nation’s costs, it is a strong start, he added.

“‘A good settlement is one where both sides walk away a bit frustrated’ is the old saying,' McKie said. 'Of course I would have liked a bit more money but I do believe they got as much as they could at this time, and there’s a lot more to go.'

“PFAS are a class of about 15,000 compounds used to make products across dozens of industries resistant to water, stains and heat. They are called 'forever chemicals' because they do not naturally break down, and are linked to , , conditions, disorders, and other health problems.

“The chemicals are thought to be contaminating drinking water for over 200 million Americans. Tens of thousands of contaminated are not included in the settlement. The chemicals are also widely used in thousands of consumer products from to to , and have been found to , and .

“PFAS constantly cycle and accumulate throughout the environment, and removing them from water is costly. The highly mobile chemicals can slip through most utilities’ filtration systems. Granular activated carbon and reverse osmosis are considered the best options.

“Leaders in Stuart, Florida, which was the bellwether case in the 3M settlement, chose to take what they could get without further litigation. Bellwethers are cases that represent all the other plaintiffs in a multi-district lawsuit. Stuart estimated damages at up to $120m, and the city acknowledged the settlement would fall short.

“‘I don’t think we’ll ever get close to that much net to the city, so I think there is no making us whole,' Stuart’s city manager told the New York Times.

“Among those utilities going at it alone is the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) near Wilmington, North Carolina, which sits on the River about 75 miles downstream from a Chemours PFAS manufacturing plant. It cost the utility about $46m to develop a granular activated carbon system to remove PFAS, and officials estimate an additional $5m in annual operational costs.

“The utility declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation, but in a late June op-ed, the CFPUA director Kenneth Waldrop explained the motivation for not joining the settlements: 'The information currently available suggests that the proposed settlement, when divided among thousands of other utilities with similar needs, would be insufficient to meet the needs of our community.'

“The utility has a 'strong case' against Chemours which has the reserves to cover the full cost, Waldrop added. There is generally support for that approach among Wilmington-area residents, said Emily Donovan, a public health advocate who lives in the region.

“‘This is not our fault, but it has been made our problem, and the community mostly understands what’s going on,' she said.

“The settlements also drew unlikely opponents in 22 state attorneys general who urged the judge to reject the 3M settlement because it 'does not adequately account for the pernicious damage that 3M has done in so many of our communities', said the California attorney general, Rob Bonta.

“Beyond water utility settlements, chemical makers face personal injury suits. Most US states will also probably sue over of , and other alone found eliminating PFAS contamination from its wastewater could run to $28bn.

“Local water systems that are not made whole will need help from the federal government, which 'basically abandoned public water infrastructure a long time ago', said Oday Salim, director of the Environmental Law and Sustainability Clinic at the University of Michigan.

“‘Any amount of money that gets shifted to the victims is helpful,' he added.
“The government could implement an excise tax on PFAS to help cover costs, McKie said, and he noted the chemical manufacturers are taking a significant hit. By some estimates, 3M’s PFAS liabilities may soar to as much as $30bn as claims roll in.
“‘That’s a pretty big chunk of the total size of their corporation,' McKie said."

theguardian.com/environment/20

#chemical #pfas #3m #dupont #chemours #Corteva #polluting #water #chemicalmanufacturers #bigtobacco #cancer #KidneyDisease #liver #immune #BirthDefects #privatewells #dentalfloss #cookware #clothing #contaminate #food #soil #air #capefear #contamination #lakes #rivers #naturalresources #minnesota #epa #epafail #pfos #waterislife #toxicwaste #chemicalindustries #foreverchemicals

Last updated 1 year ago

"There's an angry light in the stars." - Coil, Fire of the Green Dragon

Jetzt Bin Ich Diese Wut!

Enjoy your Saturday night, boys and girls.

#capefear

Last updated 2 years ago

theguardian.com/environment/20 | North Carolina residents urge UN to investigate toxic PFAS pollution |

"A citizens group in North Carolina has formally requested the United Nations to investigate multiple alleged human rights violations stemming from chemical manufacturer Chemours’ toxic PFAS pollution in the region." |

#capefear #northcarolina #unitednations #environment #humanrights

Last updated 2 years ago

ballpark_frank · @ballpark_frank
346 followers · 268 posts · Server mastodon.world
ballpark_frank · @ballpark_frank
346 followers · 267 posts · Server mastodon.world
Classic Movies Today · @classicmovies
160 followers · 544 posts · Server botsin.space

61 years ago:
Cape Fear (US)
Sam Bowden witnesses a rape committed by Max Cady and testifies against him. When released after 8 years in prison, Cady begins stalking Bowden and his family but is always clever enough not to violate the law.
1962-04-12
themoviedb.org/movie/11349

#capefear #jleethompson #gregorypeck #robertmitchum #pollybergen #universal #classicfilm

Last updated 2 years ago

Classic Movies Today · @classicmovies
158 followers · 543 posts · Server botsin.space

61 years ago:
Cape Fear (US)
Sam Bowden witnesses a rape committed by Max Cady and testifies against him. When released after 8 years in prison, Cady begins stalking Bowden and his family but is always clever enough not to violate the law.
1962-04-12
themoviedb.org/movie/11349

#capefear #jleethompson #gregorypeck #robertmitchum #pollybergen #universal #classicmovies

Last updated 2 years ago

Von · @von
280 followers · 1369 posts · Server social.lol
Von · @von
98 followers · 615 posts · Server social.lol
Hippie Scuba Steve · @HippieScubaSteve
917 followers · 4741 posts · Server mindly.social
Thierry Barnaud :verified: · @thierrybarnaud
55 followers · 194 posts · Server piaille.fr

Je ne l'avais pas revu depuis bien 25 ans : "Les nerfs à vif", de Martin Scorsese (1991). Très très tendue, comme histoire ! Robert De Niro y est complètement fou. Je ne me rappelais pas que le film était si stylisé et si nerveux, à l'image de ce qu'il raconte.

Un must see dans le genre "thriller".

Visible sur Amazon Prime.

#capefear #lesnerfsavif #nicknolte #jessicalange #juliettelewis #robertdeniro

Last updated 2 years ago

Thierry Barnaud :verified: · @thierrybarnaud
55 followers · 194 posts · Server piaille.fr

Je ne l'avais pas revu depuis bien 25 ans : "Les nerfs à vif", de Martin Scorsese (1991). Très très tendue, comme histoire ! Robert De Niro y est complètement fou. Je ne me rappelais pas que le film était si stylisé et si nerveux, à l'image de ce qu'il raconte.

Un must see dans le genre "thriller".

Visible sur Amazon Prime.

#capefear #lesnerfsavifs #nicknolte #jessicalange #juliettelewis #robertdeniro

Last updated 2 years ago

Cinemacabre.co.uk · @Cinemacabre
226 followers · 14 posts · Server social.horrorhub.club