The E.P.A.’s approval of the three chemicals wasn’t previously publicly known. in 2011 approved the use of these chemicals, used to ease the flow of oil from the ground, despite the agency’s own grave concerns about their toxicity, according to the documents, which were reviewed by The New York Times. For much of the past decade, oil companies engaged in drilling and fracking have been allowed to pump into the ground chemicals that, over time, can break down into toxic substances known as PFAS - a class of long-lasting compounds known to pose a threat to people and wildlife - according to internal documents from the Environmental Protection Agency. Top House Intelligence Democrat expresses ‘concerns’ White House not. Scott announces new Social Security, Medicare bill amid Biden feud Senate Democrat says it’s possible ‘anomaly’ still flying over Montana. What we know about the ‘unidentified’ objects shot down over North Americaįormer DNC chair: Trump may regret entering 2024 race too soonīill Maher slams Greene, Republicans over State of the Union behaviorīiden pledge to fix ‘unfair’ economy resonates with Americans
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#APPROVED TOXIC FRACKING DECADE NEW FILES SERIES#
The report includes a series of recommendations in response to its findings, including an assessment of whether PFAS or PFAS breakdown products have hurt public health. “Considering the terrible history of pollution associated with PFAS, EPA and state governments need to move quickly to ensure that the public knows where these chemicals have been used and is protected from their impacts.” “The evidence that people could be unknowingly exposed to these extremely toxic chemicals through oil and gas operations is disturbing,” report author Dusty Horwitt, an attorney and researcher who works as a consultant for the group, said in a statement. “EPA has concerns that these degradation products will persist in the environment, could bioaccumulate or biomagnify, and could be toxic (PBT) to people, wild mammals, and birds based on data on analog chemicals, including PFOA and ,” personnel wrote in one document obtained by the group.
Agency personnel specifically expressed concerns about the degradation of the chemicals into perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a carcinogen that was the subject of the 2019 film “Dark Waters.” Internal EPA materials indicated concerns about the potential impact of the approval of the chemicals in drilling and fracking. Affected states include Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. Incomplete disclosure of which chemicals are used in the drilling process means either PFAS or chemicals that degrade into PFAS could have been used even more extensively than the report indicates, according to the group. The documents suggest oil and gas companies used such substances in the drilling process in more than 1,200 wells in at least six states. The chemical use covered in the group’s report spans from 2012 to 2020, incorporating both the Obama and Trump administrations, the group said in a report Monday. The documents, secured through a Freedom of Information Act request by the group Physicians for Social Responsibility, indicate that major energy firms such as Chevron and Exxon Mobil used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or substances that can degrade into them for fracking. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2011 approved the use of chemicals for fracking that could break down into toxic so-called forever chemicals, despite internal concerns, according to documents obtained by an advocacy group.
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