A United Nations human rights panel has spotlighted a North Carolina PFAS plant for its environmental negligence, highlighting the ongoing production of toxic chemicals despite known health risks.
James Bruggers reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The UN panel accuses Chemours and DuPont of continuing PFAS production in North Carolina, ignoring the chemicals' toxic impacts on health and the environment.
- Regulatory bodies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are criticized for being overly influenced by these corporations, undermining efforts to regulate PFAS effectively.
- Despite corporate denials and claims of responsible manufacturing, the UN calls for global action to address the harmful effects of PFAS chemicals on communities worldwide.
Key quote:
“This does need to be a global fight. These are forever chemicals.”
— Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear
Why this matters:
PFAS, a.k.a. "forever chemicals," persist in our global ecosystem and have had an adverse impact on global health since their inception. Scientists are scrambling for effective solutions to this ubiquitous toxic scourge and we are reminded that "forever" is a long time.
