Global manufacturer concealed hazards of PFAS releases for decades
New publication highlights changes needed to prevent the recurrence of historical errors.
Maybe you saw the film, “Dark Waters” starring Mark Ruffalo who played attorney Rob Bilott, or maybe you saw the documentary “The Devil We Know.” Both movies depict the real-life story of a dairy farmer named Wilbur Tennant of Parkersburg, W.Va. who went to Attorney Rob Bilott for help because his cows were dying by the hundreds and he suspected that DuPont’s pollution was killing them. Both movies detail how, spurred by his grandmother's urging, Attorney Rob Bilott embarked on a crusade against DuPont and emerged victorious. His relentless efforts uncovered the decades-long concealment of the hazards posed by per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (known as “forever chemicals”) by DuPont and other manufacturers.
Photos with Mark Ruffalo (left) and Rob Bilott (right) at the “Dark Waters” premiere in Washington, DC.
While the issues of 3M and Dupont and others and their widespread contamination with their manmade PFAS chemicals have garnered national and international attention not much focus has been placed on the end-users of the chemicals.
While it has been widely reported on how the manufacturers and distributors hid the hazards, our new publication entitled: "Global Manufacturer Concealed Hazards of PFAS Releases for Decades” examines how the same tactics were employed by at least one end user, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, across three US states which has contaminated broad swaths of each of the three states. We have limited ability to know and understand how and when they did this through court documents which are sometimes redacted but still provide important detail. In this case, we felt we could make a compelling case, drawing on the publicly available facts within the timelines specified for this end user.
Here’s an excerpt from our new paper:
Abstract
Previous reports shed light on how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) suppliers adopted strategies reminiscent of those employed by the tobacco industry. These tactics minimized the perceived risks posed by their products. This review relies on publicly available court documents to analyze the extent of information shared with end users of PFAS chemicals and how one company utilized this information in its interactions with regulators and the public. Our findings indicate that Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Corp. coordinated messaging, regulatory approaches, and workplace safety strategies with PFAS suppliers. Despite awareness of growing regulatory concern since 2003, the company persisted in releasing hundreds of pounds of PFAS chemicals per year into the air and water across three US states, resulting in substantial legal and public health liabilities for the company. This work aims to provide the groundwork for future changes needed to prevent the recurrence of historical errors.
Here’s a copy of one of the figures from the paper that shows a timeline of Saint-Gobain’s activities covered in the paper.
If you want to read more please click here to access the paper in the next 30 days free of charge.
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Mindi Messmer, MS, PG, CG is an environmental and public health scientist and author of Female Disruptors: Stories of Mighty Female Scientists. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and through your local bookstore.
"Female Disruptors is a wonderful mix of stories about mighty female scientists, and carefully documented data on everything from discrimination against women in STEM to the impact of balancing a career in science with motherhood. Mindi makes this personal by interweaving her own stories, which makes the work come alive. If you want to both be infuriated at woman scientist's plight, and also hear words of hope, and solid ideas for change, read this book."
~ Dr. Linda Rhodes, VMD, PhD