The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it is finalizing new standards to help protect people from exposure to lead paint dust. The new rules create stricter standards for homes built prior to 1978, as well as childcare facilities, to ensure they are free of lead paint. This is intended to protect people, particularly children, from the dangers of lead poisoning.
(more…)In a recent decision, the United States Supreme Court has blocked the enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “good neighbor” rule. The rule was meant to help prevent “downwind” pollution where one state’s emissions caused pollution in another state. As a result of this ruling, however, the EPA’s authority will be much more limited, and polluting states will be more free to continue their current activities without limiting emissions.
(more…)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently announced a new proposed rule that would limit the use of n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), a chemical used for a number of industrial and commercial purposes. This chemical has been associated with a number of negative health effects, some of which are potentially fatal. The new rule is intended to protect both industrial workers who may be exposed to the chemical in the workplace, as well as consumers who might be exposed to it due to accidental contamination.
(more…)A Philadelphia jury has ruled in favor of a plaintiff who sued ExxonMobil for exposure to benzene and other carcinogens while he was working for them, which he said caused him to develop leukemia. The jury awarded him $725 million, one of the largest such verdicts awarded to a single plaintiff. ExxonMobil says it will appeal the verdict, calling it “irrational” and saying that they are reviewing their options for appeal.
(more…)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced much stricter regulation of methylene chloride, a chemical commonly used as a solvent and paint stripper. The new regulation would prohibit its use for all consumer use, and heavily restrict its use in industrial and commercial settings. This is due to the serious health risks associated with the chemical, which the EPA has found “presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health under its conditions of use.”
(more…)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially designated two so-called “forever chemicals” as hazardous chemicals under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund law. These chemicals, known as PFOA and PFOS, have been widely used for decades, resulting in significant environmental contamination. While this will not ban the use of such chemicals, it will allow the EPA to take exceptional steps to deal with environmental problems caused by PFOA and PFOS.
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