Home / Environment / EPA Quietly Rewrites Website on Toxic Chemical Production
EPA Quietly Rewrites Website on Toxic Chemical Production
18 Oct
Summary
- EPA now admits PFOA and PFOS are still produced in the US.
- A Texas firm manufactures plastic containers from which PFOA leaches.
- The agency changed its website after a formal complaint about misleading claims.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revised its website's claims regarding the production of hazardous PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS. Previously, the agency suggested these chemicals had been phased out, but now acknowledges their continued production in the United States. This update came after a formal complaint highlighted the misleading nature of the prior statements, which created a false impression of a complete cessation of production.
Houston-based Inhance continues to manufacture up to 200 million plastic containers annually, from which PFOA has been detected leaching into contents. Environmental groups have labeled these containers an "ongoing serious threat to public health." Inhance maintains that any PFOA present is an "impurity" and denies significant leaching.
The "phase-out" of PFOA and PFOS began in the early 2000s following revelations about their dangers. While not a complete ban, the agreement with eight producers was seen as a significant step. The EPA's recent website alteration now states that "Quantities of Pfoa may be produced, imported, and used by companies," and notes that PFOS has limited, ongoing uses.
This situation highlights a six-year legal battle concerning Inhance's containers. Despite EPA investigations and orders to cease production due to detected PFOA leaching, legal challenges and Inhance's claims of reduced "impurity" levels have complicated enforcement. A federal appeals court overturned a ban on their production, and a subsequent lawsuit was dismissed.
