By Gabe Castro-Root 2024-07-25T19:00:30000-04:00
Environmental groups sued the EPA on Thursday over an alleged lack of action to regulate the distribution of plastic containers contaminated with PFAS.
The suit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that the Environmental Protection Agency violated the Toxic Substances Control Act by failing to take action within 180 days of receiving information that suggests a significant risk of harm from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). It asks the agency to halt the manufacture and distribution of “tens of millions” of the containers.
“EPA recognized the existence of an unreasonable, imminent hazard several months ago but has yet to deliver the necessary action to protect public health,” Robert Sussman, who represents plaintiff the Center for Environmental Health, said in a press release.
Kyla Bennett, science policy director at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which is also a plaintiff, said in the statement the “EPA’s failure to protect the public from exposures to toxic PFOA in their daily lives is inexcusable and reflects a severe leadership deficit at the agency.”
The case is Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility v. EPA , D.D.C., No. 1:24-cv-02194, Complaint Filed 7/25/24
To contact the reporter on this story: Gabe Castro-Root in Washington at gcastroroot@bloombergindustry.com
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Zachary Sherwood at zsherwood@bloombergindustry.com; JoVona Taylor at jtaylor@bloombergindustry.com