A water tower is seen in Flint, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
DETROIT (CN) Attorneys urged a federal judge Monday to grant preliminary approval of a massive settlement benefitting Flint residents poisoned by contaminated water, as local government officials wrestle with accepting their part of the deal.
More than 100 attorneys were present at the hearing but only a handful spoke and debated the merits of the agreement that would compensate thousands of victims for the injuries caused by the presence of lead in the city’s drinking water supply.
U.S. District Judge Judith Levy, a Barack Obama appointee, said the $641 million agreement is the “most complex settlement I’ve ever seen.”
EPA Releases Interim Guidance On Destroying And Disposing Of Certain PFAS And PFAS-Containing Materials
Today, as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) aggressive efforts under the PFAS Action Plan, the agency is releasing new interim guidance on destroying and disposing of certain PFAS and PFAS-containing materials for public comment. Specifically, the new interim guidance outlines the current state of the science on techniques and treatments that may be used to destroy or dispose of PFAS and PFAS-containing materials from non-consumer products, including aqueous film-forming foam for firefighting.
“With this interim guidance, EPA is providing important scientific information on available technologies that can assist with the destruction and disposal of PFAS,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “This action is a critical part of our efforts to increase the understanding of PFAS and support our federal, state, tribal and local partners as we address t
DHHL NEWS RELEASE: Next Phase of Improvements for Anahola Water System einnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from einnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
But one resident with a contaminated well isn t optimistic.
Biden, who will be inaugurated Jan. 20, has indicated that he will take a science-based approach to climate change and other environmental issues. He said on his website that he plans to designate the group of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as a hazardous substance.
The designation will allow the federal government to set enforcement limits for the PFAS chemicals in the Safe Drinking Water Act, which will speed up toxicity studies and research on the compounds, Biden said on the website. Biden also plans to use government procurement to entice companies to use compounds that don t contain PFAS, according to Biden s website.
America’s Water Infrastructure Act 2020 passed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee by a vote of 21 to 0 in May of 2020.
The bipartisan legislation provides approximately $17 billion in new federal authorizations to invest in U.S. infrastructure for projects across the country. The Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 reauthorizes Safe Drinking Water Act programs that support drinking water infrastructure and provide resources and technical assistance to communities facing critical drinking water needs.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the EPW Committee Chairman, sponsors the bill along with U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), the top Democrat on the EPW Committee.
Sen. Barrasso