Blitz Bureau
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is quietly fast-tracking approval of new PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ for use by the semiconductor industry at the same time the agency is publicly touting increased scrutiny of new PFAS and other chemicals, reported The Guardian.
As US semiconductor production ramps up, the hastened reviews could sharply increase pollution containing little-studied PFAS that are likely toxic, accumulative in the environment and contribute to climate change, said he British daily.
Despite the risks, the EPA is “bending over backwards” for the semiconductor industry, said Mike Belliveau, the founder of the Bend The Curve non-profit who has lobbied on toxic chemical legislation.
“We’re going to see more and more [PFAS pollution],” he was quoted as saying by The Guardian. “No one is happy that PFAS is in their drinking water or raining down from the air, and EPA’s permitting runs counter to rising scientific and public concern … so tension is mounting.”
PFAS are a class of about 15,000 chemicals often used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. They are called ‘forever chemicals’ because they do not naturally break down, and are linked to cancer, liver problems, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems.
Semiconductors are essential to electronics used in defense, medical devices, smart phones, clean energy and more, and the Biden administration has spurred the industry’s on-shoring with billions in incentives. But the industry is a prolific polluter and a major source of unregulated and unmonitored PFAS, creating tension with Biden’s sweeping plan to rein in PFAS pollution.
PFAS regulation
The controversy, said the newspaper, represents a confluence of what environmental advocates have said are major deficiencies in PFAS regulation. It is generating debate over the definition of PFAS, political meddling in EPA decisions, the rapid accumulation of little-studied PFAS and regulators’ black box decision making around chemical safety and approvals.
The EPA in early December announced it would strengthen its review of new chemicals as part of the 2016 rewrite of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which are the laws governing the nation’s use of toxic substances. Previously, industry could begin selling a chemical if the EPA didn’t review it within 90 days, resulting in thousands of substances being sold with virtually no review.
