EPA plans “bold” action to regulate toxic chemicals found in cookware and drinking water
Cancer-causing “forever chemicals” are all around us. Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in products ranging from makeup nonstick cookware and cleaning products. In 2019, The Counter even found them in supposedly compostable fiber bowls used by companies like Chipotle and Sweetgreen. The Environmental Protection Agency is making plans to regulate the amount of PFAS that end up in America’s drinking water, writes The Washington Post. The agency says it will act urgently to curtail the use of the chemicals, including requiring manufacturers to provide more detailed information about the compounds their companies produce. The agency also plans to designate certain PFAS as hazardous chemicals, which could affect landfills and sewage treatment plants across the country. Some environmental advocates are understandably wary of the EPA’s promises. The agency pledged to address PFAS as far back as 2009, but has taken little meaningful action to date.
