EDC Policy Updates

A cross-European investigation has revealed how the chemical industry is intensifying efforts to influence the EU’s proposed ban on PFAS chemicals, raising concerns about regulatory delays and environmental harm. Robert Hodgson reports for Euronews.

A cross-border investigation reveals that industry lobbying efforts, including funded research and exaggerated economic claims, are slowing attempts to regulate PFAS chemicals linked to environmental contamination and health concerns. Rachel Salvidge and Leana Hosea report for The Guardian.

A New England Journal of Medicine article warns that weak U.S. chemical regulations have failed to protect children from exposure to harmful synthetic chemicals, contributing to rising rates of childhood cancers, asthma and obesity. Jim Morris reports for Public Health Watch.

North Carolina is advancing plans to monitor and curb PFAS contamination in surface waters, aiming to reduce industrial discharges and the financial burden of cleanup on communities. Liz McLaughlin reports for WRAL News.

Children’s health is under siege from synthetic chemicals linked to diseases, and scientists are calling for sweeping regulatory changes to safeguard future generations. Carey Gillam reports for The New Lede and The Guardian.

Environmental groups have sued the FDA, accusing the agency of endangering public health by allowing phthalates in food packaging despite mounting evidence of the chemicals’ harmful effects. Tom Perkins reports for The Guardian.

Researchers warned the EPA in 2003 that sludge fertilizer contains PFAS, toxic chemicals linked to health risks, but the agency has not mandated testing or limits. Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times.

In Northern California, Santa Clara County supervisors are considering banning artificial turf on county lands, citing health risks and pollution concerns, while opponents warn it could worsen the shortage of sports fields. Candice Nguyen, Michael Bott, Jeremy Carroll, Michael Horn, Robbie Beasom, and Michael Campbell report for NBC Bay Area.

The UK government plans to ban neonicotinoid pesticides harmful to bees, though a controversial exemption for Cruiser SB could be allowed in 2025. Helena Horton reports for The Guardian.

The European Commission has officially banned bisphenol-A (BPA) in food contact materials, citing health concerns like immune system harm. European Commission.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is fast-tracking approvals for PFAS chemicals used in semiconductor production, raising alarm over their environmental and health impacts despite industry reassurances. Tom Perkins reports for The Guardian.

Pesticide trade groups are using lobbyists and grassroots networks to delay state laws aimed at curbing PFAS contamination in food and water, citing economic concerns. Lisa Held reports for Civil Eats.

Fifty years after the Safe Drinking Water Act became law, millions still lack reliable access to clean water, particularly in marginalized communities and small towns. Brett Walton reports for Circle of Blue.

President-elect Donald Trump’s health appointee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aims to end fluoride in drinking water nationwide, but many states maintain mandates that the federal government cannot override. Hannah Recht reports for The Washington Post.

The final global plastics treaty, which stalled during talks last week, needs to address chemicals used throughout the life cycle of plastics, some of which significantly reduce our fertility and impair our health, in order to truly confront the full scope of the crisis. The global plastics treaty currently being negotiated by 175 countries via the United Nations Environment Programme is a pivotal and possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address this crisis. Last week the fifth round of negotiations ended in a stalemate, with a sixth round planned for 2025. The lack of consensus to date is largely due to failure to agree on regulation of plastic chemicals and production caps. While nearly 100 countries (the “high ambition countries”) support production limits and chemical regulation, fossil fuel dependent countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia are resisting these measures and instead pushing for a focus on plastic waste.

The Biden administration plans to increase the allowable environmental threshold for atrazine, a controversial pesticide, sparking backlash from environmental groups. Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.

Global negotiators failed to finalize a plastic waste treaty in Busan, but experts remain hopeful that ongoing discussions will yield stronger international agreements to reduce plastic pollution. Lauren Giella reports for Newsweek.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to restrict the pesticide chlorpyrifos on food crops, allowing its use on 11 crops while reducing overall application by 70%. Roni Caryn Rabin reports for The New York Times.

Environmental justice and Indigenous groups say they were largely excluded from key plastic treaty talks last week in Busan, South Korea, which took place over seven days and ended without a final text. During previous plastic treaty talks, environmental justice and Indigenous delegations were permitted to listen and speak during negotiations between member states. That changed at this meeting, as the last several days of the talks consisted of private conversations.

This failure was necessary. Moving to a final treaty in South Korea, given the state of negotiations, was premature. But the meeting did lay the groundwork for a future round of negotiations that could produce a more responsible and sustainable result. The small group of “like-minded nations” — who, not coincidentally, are the major producers of oil and gas and plastic — were never likely to agree on provisions that would reduce plastic production, even if the vast majority of nations around the world are in favor of doing so.