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On the calendar today …
- WORKSHOP: Delta-Mendota Subbasin GSAs and Tracy Subbasin GSAs Interbasin Workshop beginning at 2pm. During this session the two subbasins will exchange information from their Annual Reports, share the status of their Project Management Actions and explore their opportunities for collaboration. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
California’s red line of fire defense faces growing scrutiny
“As California enters the height of wildfire season, Cal Fire aircraft are once again painting red lines across dry hillsides with a substance known as PHOS-CHEK. The fire retardant is used to slow or stop advancing flames. But growing questions about its safety for the environment and for people is prompting scrutiny. PHOS-CHEK is manufactured by Perimeter Solutions, a Missouri-based company with deep roots in industrial chemicals that recently opened a manufacturing facility in Sacramento. The name refers to its key ingredient: ammonium phosphate, a compound also used in fertilizer. It works by coating vegetation in a film that helps prevent combustion. Its trademark red color, which comes from iron oxide—essentially rust—helps pilots see where it has already been dropped. Despite its widespread use, PHOS-CHEK’s full list of ingredients remains secret. … That lack of transparency has drawn concern from researchers like Daniel McCurry, an associate professor of environmental engineering at USC. … ” Read the full story at Capital Public Radio.
State wants to better understand salt build up in the Central Valley, starting with Kings County
“A state water quality agency hopes to tackle a problem as old as civilization itself – salt build up from irrigation. The Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) is working with local water managers and using state-of-the-art engineering software to understand how groundwater moves through the western Kings and Delta-Mendota subbasins as part of a long-term salt study. The salt study, which began in 2022, aims to develop a Central Valley-wide plan to manage salinity, focusing first on the Kings and Delta-Mendota subbasins. “We’re looking at planning horizons of 50 to 100 years or more to assess how the valley will be changing in terms of salt accumulation, how it changes over time and depending on where you are in the valley,” Tom Grovhoug, an engineering consultant for the Central Valley Salinity Coalition said during a June 30 CV-SALTS webinar. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
California weather forecasts could soon become less accurate when this data source goes offline
“Storm and surf forecasts in California will become less accurate this year when federal funding for a network of ocean buoys disappears in September. Federal support for the Coastal Data Information Program, operated by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, was drastically cut by nearly 70%. The drop in funding, set to take effect Sept. 1, will force some ocean buoys offline, scientists say, making weather forecasts less reliable, compromise public safety and hamper ship operations. “If you lined up a hundred meteorologists and asked them, ‘Are buoy observations important to the forecast process and important to the mission of saving lives?’ every one of them will say, ‘Yes, absolutely,’” said Troy Nicolini, the meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service Eureka office. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
California could flood like Texas. But thunderstorms likely won’t be to blame
“A major thunderstorm like the one that produced devastating flash flooding in Texas over the holiday weekend is not likely in the Bay Area or most of California, but climate scientists say that if the perfect weather at the right time of year and geography align, serious flooding can still wreak havoc here. There are several significant differences between the recent deluge in Texas, which has killed more than 100 people, and the type of flooding that happens in California. First, in the Golden State, it’s the cold winter months that bring flooding, often from back-to-back atmospheric river storms. The instability caused by these rainstorms, which douse the region in water, can generate thunderstorms of varying intensity and trigger flooding. … “The magnitude of the severity of the flooding absolutely could happen in California, and it is the kind of flooding that we are very concerned about,” said Daniel Swain, a UC Agriculture and Natural Resources climate scientist. “But the physical meteorology involved would be very different.” … ” Read more from KQED.
Senator Cabaldon says it’s time for Governor Newsom to move on from the Delta Tunnel
“The California Legislature last week passed two trailer bills in the budget package weakening the landmark California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Governor Gavin Newsom’s threat to not sign the budget without their inclusion, but we also have some good news to report. In a statement on July 1, Senator Christopher Cabaldon, D-Yolo, and other legislators representing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta reported that they have “successfully rebuffed – at least for now” – efforts to speed up the process of building a giant tunnel that would divert water from the Sacramento River before it reaches the Delta and send it to southern California. “The 2025-26 budget package passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Newsom this week does not include the governor’s proposed legislation to waive regulations to fast-track the so-called Delta Conveyance Project, and to authorize the issuance of bonds to build it despite a court ruling that the bond plan exceeded the state’s authority,” according to Cabaldon. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
Pathogen risks found at 79% of California beaches tested in 2024
“As locals and tourists hope to return to iconic California beaches this summer, a new report released on Tuesday warns that urgent action is needed to ensure that the waters are safe for swimming. In 2024, 79% of California beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one of the days they were tested, according to Safe for Swimming?, Environment California Research and Policy Center’s latest analysis of bacteria testing. The new research comes as Congress considers reducing funding for the main federal program to stop sewer overflows and runoff pollution. “As summer days bring more people to California beaches for the fresh sea breeze and rolling waves, pollution is still plaguing far too many of the places where we should be able to swim and surf,” said Laura Deehan, state director of Environment California Research and Policy Center. “Now is the time for action to fix our water infrastructure and stop the flow of nasty bacteria and pollution to our beaches.” … ” Read more Environment California.
State legislators moving forward two bills that would support Ridgecrest’s water security
“As the Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin continues to face critical water reliability challenges, the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority (IWVGA) is supporting two key pieces of legislation currently moving through the California legislature: AB 1413 (Papan) and AB 1466 (Hart). These bills aim to protect the water rights of people not just in the City of Ridgecrest and surrounding communities but throughout the entire state. The Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin is the only current source of water for Ridgecrest, the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and the entire region. At current pumping rates, this basin could run out of water within 40 years, underscoring the urgent need to implement the region’s state-mandated Groundwater Sustainability Plan. “These bills help protect our local groundwater sustainability plan, which is designed to ensure Ridgecrest has water for generations to come,” said Scott Hayman, chair of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority. “This gives us and other groundwater authorities throughout California the certainty we need to keep moving forward to protect our drinking water supplies without consumers shouldering the high costs of legal challenges.” … ” Continue reading this press release from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority.
Trump’s FEMA proposals and feud with Gavin Newsom could devastate California’s disaster response
“Even before President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom squared off over Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops to quell immigration protests, before Newsom likened Trump to a dictator and Trump endorsed the idea of arresting the governor, the question of how much California could continue to rely on FEMA was front and center. It’s a critical question in a state — with its earthquakes, wildfires, floods, drought and extreme heat — that frequently suffers some of the costliest disasters in the country. Since Trump’s inauguration, his administration has floated sweeping proposals that would slash FEMA dollars and make disasters harder to declare. This has left both blue and red states wrestling with scenarios in which they must pay for what FEMA will not. States have long counted on FEMA to cover at least 75% of declared major disaster response and recovery costs. … ” Read the full story at Pro Publica,
In commentary today …
Changing crucial definition in Endangered Species Act undermines purpose of Klamath Dam removal
“Swimming past the California-Oregon border, a lost fish — one of thousands — finds its way home after an exile of over 100 years. As swarms of salmon migrate north to Oregon along the Klamath River, youth from across the region’s indigenous tribes kayak south through northern California to the Pacific Ocean — a 300-mile celebratory journey that would not have been possible just a year ago. What’s changed? Beneath the fish and kayaks lie the watery graves of four dams, built in the early 20th century and dismantled over the past two years at a cost of $500 million, the largest and most ambitious dam removal in history. The return of salmon to the upper Klamath River represents a victory for nature, an exhibition of the century-long transition in how Americans view the environment, and a signal achievement of the 1973 Endangered Species Act. … ” Read more from Circle of Blue.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Fish are absolutely loving this recent improvement to the Mad River Estuary, according to new Cal Poly-led study
“California Trout (CalTrout) announced today that the Baduwa’t (Mad River) estuary restoration project has been successful in providing natural habitat to numerous threatened species, according to new monitoring data. The 9.3-acre project, designed by Northern Hydrology and Engineering, and completed in partnership with McKinleyville Community Services District in late 2022, transformed former wastewater percolation ponds into floodplain habitat that is now successfully supporting a thriving ecosystem. “These monitoring results prove that strategic habitat restoration works,” said Mary Burke, CalTrout’s North Coast Regional Manager. “The Baduwa’t restoration project site is providing some of the only refugia habitat for fish to escape from high winter flows in the estuary. We were especially excited to learn that coho salmon have utilized the site every winter since construction.” … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost.
Elk River tidal marsh creation yield benefits for fish and the community
“The City of Eureka, California recently completed an ambitious project to enhance 78 acres of diked and drained pastureland to tidal wetland habitat in the Elk River Estuary on Humboldt Bay. The project was partially funded by a National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant from the Service. The Coastal Program staff in the Arcata Ecological Services Office provided technical review and guidance to the project’s development team during plan design. During construction, Eureka determined that there was insufficient fill material required to complete construction of protection levees. The Coastal Program stepped in on an emergency basis and developed plans for obtaining the required fill by adding three tidal ponds into the project. The ponds were designed to create rearing and refuge habitat for juvenile fish and the endangered Tidewater Goby. … ” Read more from the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
‘Finally, somebody listened’: The 14-year battle to save Tahoe’s largest ski resort
“Environmental watchdog groups in Lake Tahoe reached a monumental agreement with Palisades Tahoe, the largest ski resort in the region, to significantly downsize a controversial development. The agreement resolves 14 years of conflict over the future of Olympic Valley, located a few miles northwest of the Tahoe Basin. The downsized development plans are part of a settlement reached after seven months of negotiations between the League to Save Lake Tahoe, Sierra Watch and Palisades Tahoe. “This is a resolution to the 14-year fight, and everyone who cares about Tahoe and joined us in standing up to keep Tahoe Truckee true should feel good about this outcome and what we’ve all achieved together,” said Tom Mooers, executive director of Sierra Watch, in an interview Tuesday morning with SFGATE. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO:
- Huge Palisades Tahoe ski village expansion will be much smaller with new compromise, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- Palisades Tahoe settles with environmental groups to scale back development, from the Sacramento Bee
- ‘Awesome sense of place’: Settlement ends long-running Lake Tahoe development battle, from the San Jose Mercury News
Study to monitor fireworks’ effect on Tahoe upended when fireworks-laden barge sinks
“An isolated storm that caused large quantities of unexploded fireworks to spill into Lake Tahoe has derailed what was expected to be the most comprehensive modern study examining the effects of fireworks shows on the famed lake. Clean Up The Lake, a nonprofit group traditionally focused on removing subsurface lake pollution, including the use of the first human-powered circumnavigation cleanup of Lake Tahoe using SCUBA, switched gears this July to spearhead the study. It was aimed at examining the effects of fireworks on the lake, which has suffered for decades from declining clarity, aquatic invasive species invasions and other human-induced problems. The study was geared toward examining not just trash, but also water quality, including microplastics in the water, and had the potential to show the effects of firework debris and large-scale public events at the lake. … ” Read more from the Nevada Independent.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
PG&E begins removing Battle Creek Dam to help restore salmon runs
“A major dam is coming down this summer on Battle Creek — and that’s good news for threatened Chinook salmon and steelhead. PG&E has officially begun removing Inskip Diversion Dam, a key barrier that has blocked fish from reaching their cold-water spawning grounds for decades. The project is part of a long-term effort to restore Battle Creek, a vital tributary to the Sacramento River and one of California’s most important watersheds. The momentum has been building for years. The first dam removal on Battle Creek happened in 2010. In 2022, construction wrapped up on another major fish passage fix in North Fork Battle Creek. Now, the Inskip Dam removal represents another milestone in restoring natural flows and reconnecting critical fish habitat. … ” Read more from Active NorCal.
Del Paso Manor Water District reorganized
“As of June 30, the reorganization of Del Paso Manor Water District (DPMWD) into Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD) is complete. This marks the official transition of Del Paso Manor Water District into the newly-designated Del Paso Manor Service Area (DPMSA) within the Sacramento Suburban Water District. The reorganization marks the conclusion of a multi-year effort to improve long-term financial stability and reliable water service for Del Paso Manor Water District’s ratepayers without burdening current Sacramento Suburban Water District customers with the costs associated with necessary improvements to the Del Paso Manor Service Area facilities. … ” Read more from the Carmichael Times.
Youths gain essential knowledge in Summer TEK program
“For thousands of years, Native Patwin-Wintun communities tended and cared for the wetlands and waterways of the Yolo Basin with practices that enhanced the health and biodiversity of this rich delta ecosystem. This summer, teenage youths are invited to join Native Californian traditional ecological knowledge specialists in learning how indigenous stewardship practices are key to a sustainable future. Every Wednesday in July, Wintun/Maidu educator, naturalist and cultural practitioner Diana Almendariz will share hands-on lessons in how Patwin-Wintun people flourished in symbiotic relationship with the plants and animals of this area. “The lifeways of Native people kept the land and water healthy and clean. These traditional stewardship practices are essential to the restoration of damaged and threatened environments,” said Almendariz, an expert in the cultural and ecological uses of tule, a keystone wetland plant. … ” Read more from the Davis Enterprise.
CENTRAL COAST
Greenfield to vote on halting new housing developments over wastewater limits
“Greenfield city leaders are set to vote on a proposed moratorium that would temporarily halt new housing developments because the city’s wastewater treatment plant is at capacity. Greenfield Mayor Bob White said, “We may have to put a stop to it because we just don’t have the wastewater capacity at this point. This plant would be underway if we’d all received our state funding. Has requested originally. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen. So we’ve got to. Do what’s prudent and make a stand so that we can get funding and get the plant up to date as soon as possible.” … ” Read more from KSBW.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LA Fires: Six months later: Lessons learned & what we need to do next
“Everyone I’ve talked to in LA has a personal story about their experience on January 7th. My story is a little different than most. It started as one of the best days of my life – kayaking through slushy ice sheets alongside penguins in Antarctica. But the magic ended the minute I stepped back on the boat and saw my phone was flooded with text messages from concerned friends and family. I had intended to spend most of the week on a digital detox. Instead, I spent every waking hour checking the WatchDuty app for news of whether my home in the Palisades was still standing. Now, six months after megafires devastated several SoCal communities, with tens of thousands of people still displaced from their homes (including me), we’re beginning to see how the efforts to protect us against the next climate disaster are taking shape. … ” Read more from Heal the Bay.
4 things to know about SoCal’s flood systems in the wake of the Texas tragedy
“The flood tragedy in Texas has claimed over 100 lives — including at least 27 girls and staff at a summer camp — with an additional 161 people reported missing as of Tuesday. It’s one of the nation’s deadliest floods this century and is spotlighting the growing numbers of flood deaths in the U.S., driven by heavier rainfall as the warming atmosphere holds more water. Southern California has not been immune to serious injuries and deaths from floods. In the wake of the tragedy in Texas, LAist set out to get answers about our local situation here. … ” Read more from the LAist.
Photos: Sea lions are released after toxic algae bloom in Southern California
“This spring, Southern California experienced one of the longest toxic algal blooms on record. It sickened at least 1,500 animals in the region and the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, took in nearly 400 sea lions and dolphins in just a few months. On a recent Monday, NPR’s All Things Considered visited an empty beach in Palos Verdes to witness the release of one of the center’s very last sea lion patients from this year’s outbreak. Patchouli was waiting in a crate on the back of a truck, and as her handlers carefully rolled her crate down a ramp, it bounced on its big moon rover-like wheels. Then, it was go time — and as soon as they opened the crate’s door, Patchouli slid out onto the smooth rocks of the beach and waddled swiftly back into the waves. … ” Read more from the LAist.
Trump administration may revoke designation for new Chuckwalla National Monument
“One of former President Joe Biden’s last official acts was declaring the Chuckwalla National Monument on almost 625,000 acres of “canyon-carved mountain ranges” in Riverside County. … Janessa Goldbeck, CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, which lobbied for the Chuckwalla National Monument designation, said the administration might be thinking twice about reversing that status after blowback from a recent proposal in the House Budget Bill to sell off public lands. “Veterans, hunters, anglers, a lot of people who are not traditionally invested in politics who came out to say hands off our public lands,” she said. Speculation that the Trump administration could revoke monument status for more than half a million acres of protected land in California has environmentalists fretting, but some outdoor recreation and mining advocates hope to undo what they call a “lame duck land grab.” … ” Read the full story at Cal Matters.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Calexico City Council addresses water rates
“Calexico residents lashed out at its City council for remarks they made about water rates going forward. In a lengthy public comment session last Wednesday, the public made it clear they are opposed to increasing water rates or privatizing the utility to another agency. Most of their comments were directed at Mayor Diana Nuricumbo and CouncilmemberLisa Tylenda. Nuricumbo explained that the water rate increases were in last year’s budget. “This is where the issue with water rates started,” she said. “Last year the budget had a water rate increase.” … ” Read more from the Calexico Chronicle.
SAN DIEGO
Survey of South Bay residents finds concerns still strong about pollution crisis
“The South Bay community remains concerned about air quality, drinking water and health outcomes related to the Tijuana River pollution crisis, according to a survey released Tuesday. The survey, which featured answers from 2,099 people near the International Border, was conducted last November by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. In it, 67% of those surveyed said they do not believe the area is safe to visit, work or live in. Of those who filled out questionnaires for the Assessment of Chemical Exposures survey, 97% said they were concerned about air quality. A total of 80% said they have made many or some lifestyle changes due to the sewage and taken steps to avoid the area. … ” Read more from Channel 7.
SEE ALSO: Another survey spotlights how sewage crisis has affected region’s quality of life, from the San Diego Union Tribune
Along the Colorado River …
As the Colorado River shrinks, desert towns grow
“If Lake Powell is like a big thermometer gauging the hydrologic health of the Upper Colorado River Basin, then it’s running a high fever. In one case, the fever analogy is a bit too literal: The National Park Service has detected high concentrations of cyanotoxins in the reservoir around the mouth of Antelope Canyon, and is warning folks to limit their exposure to the water. Warm water is one of the drivers of cyanotoxin growth. The surface level peaked out on June 19 at 3,562 feet above sea level, with about 7.8 million acre-feet of storage (or about one-third of its capacity). That means the big, white “bathtub” ring on the sandstone cliffs has grown by about 27 feet in the past year, re-revealing some landforms and rendering some boat ramps unusable. Levels will continue to drop throughout the summer. … ” Read more from the Land Desk.
Gnaw and order: An imperiled Arizona river gets help from relocated beavers
“For years, conservationists have been building manmade dams to help restore Arizona’s disappearing wetlands. Now, the state’s last free-flowing river is undergoing renovations from nature’s most efficient construction crew: a pair of recently released beavers. Arizona Game and Fish biologists are testing a new protocol for moving beavers from locations where they can be a nuisance to businesses and homeowners to areas of the state where they can contribute to conservation. “It’s a shift in mindset,” said Angie Stingelin, a senior wildlife specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, in a news release. “Instead of relocating a nuisance beaver to an area where it might cause less trouble, we’re harnessing its natural behaviors to restore vital habitats within the beaver’s known range in Arizona.” … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Southern Arizona property owners worried about upcoming mine’s groundwater impacts
“Residents living near a mega-mine slated for the Patagonia Mountains south of Tucson say they’re seeing changes to their groundwater supply as the project gets underway. Mining company South32 says their Hermosa project will take up a roughly 750 acre stretch of land and will one day produce zinc, silver, manganese and other materials used in green energy. South32 sent a draft agreement of a well monitoring program to area property owners in June. The document, shared with KJZZ, outlines groundwater monitoring and mitigation plans and gives the company sole discretion of how it’s done. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
In national water news today …
How did we get a dozen ‘1,000-year floods’ in 3 days?
“After nearly 2 feet of rain fell in central Texas on July 4, causing flooding that killed more than 100 people, almost a foot of rain struck central North Carolina as Tropical Storm Chantal moved inland on July 7. Both are considered to be at least “1,000-year flood” events. But what does that mean, and how could we see so many events in such a short time period? The terms researchers use to rank floods and heavy rainfall are complex, nuanced, and often confusing. For home insurance purposes, a 100-year flood means that there is a 1 percent chance of that flood happening in any given year at your home’s location. A 1,000-year flood would be a 0.1 percent chance, so in 1,000 years, you’d expect 1 such flood to occur. But statistics don’t dictate when during that period the floods will occur, and the floods could happen in rapid succession without violating the rule. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Deadly floods could be new normal as Trump guts federal agencies, experts warn
“The deadly Texas floods could signal a new norm in the US, as Donald Trump and his allies dismantle crucial federal agencies that help states prepare and respond to extreme weather and other hazards, experts warn. More than 100 are dead and dozens more remain missing after flash floods in the parched area known as Texas Hill Country swept away entire holiday camps and homes on Friday night – in what appears to have been another unremarkable storm that stalled before dumping huge quantities of rain over a short period of time, a phenomenon that has becoming increasingly common as the planet warms. It remains unclear why the early warning system failed to result in the timely evacuation of Camp Mystic, where 700 girls were camped on a known flood plain on the Guadalupe River, but there is mounting concern that the chaos and cuts instigated by Trump and his billionaire donor Elon Musk at the National Weather Service (NWS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) may have contributed to the death toll. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
Texas floods prompt new disaster reckoning in Congress
“Natural disasters have a tendency to ignite clashes in Congress over federal response efforts and relief funding. This latest disaster is different. The catastrophic flooding that ravaged central Texas and killed more than 100 people in recent days represents the first major, nation-gripping disaster to take place against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s sweeping transformation of the federal government. Instead of sparking the usual debates over whether to refill the disaster relief fund, the floods have aggravated deeper, more contentious disagreements over President Donald Trump’s slash-and-burn politics and added new weight to questions about whether the GOP agenda is undermining disaster prevention and recovery. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Floods are increasingly common. Our water infrastructure is unprepared
“The deadly floods in Central Texas, which had killed more than 100 people as of Tuesday afternoon, have become a flashpoint for discussions of government preparedness for flood emergencies. Kerr County abandoned efforts to build a more robust warning system, reportedly due to budget issues; officials also appear not to have issued evacuation orders at the start of the flood. But one expert tells Governing that local officials across the country should also be using this moment to reflect on the need for updated water infrastructure, the first line of defense for communities experiencing extreme rain events.A 2024 report from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Value of Water Campaign estimated that the country is billions of dollars short in investments needed to update water infrastructure for 21st-century needs, including a new normal of extreme rainfall events. … ” Read more from Governing.
Rethinking regionalization: Water utilities as economic development partners
“Amid funding and programmatic uncertainty, many communities are testing new plans, exploring new financing tools, and even rethinking how they govern and operate their water infrastructure. Aging distribution pipes, overwhelmed sewers, and other vulnerable systems not only pose environmental and public health risks, but also strain state and local budgets, as well as those of the public utilities that own and operate this infrastructure. Now, “regionalization”—collaborations or partnerships among geographically proximate local water systems—is gaining renewed momentum nationally as a potential solution. But the specifics of how communities pursue regional coordination vary widely, and simply focusing on the economics of small systems to do so overlooks a key point: how utilities can more effectively function as essential community and economic partners and service providers. … ” Read more from Brookings.
‘Poisoning the Well’ authors Sharon Udasin and Rachel Frazin on PFAS contamination and why it ‘has not received the attention it deserves’
“In the introduction to Sharon Udasin and Rachel Frazin’s new book, Poisoning The Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America, the authors cite an alarming statistic from 2015 that PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are present in the bodies of an estimated 97% of Americans. How did we ever get to this point? Their book is an attempt to explain that history, and to highlight those resisting the seeming inevitability of PFAS. “I think we have the corporate cover-up and awareness on both the corporations’ and government’s part for decades upon decades,” said Udasin. “But we also see the power of regular people to effect change, to really bring about what politicians are not necessarily willing to do.” The book tells stories of people deeply affected by ingesting PFAS, and the saga of how companies have been able to continue to churn out hundreds of different chemicals under the banner of PFAS, despite the risks and harms to human health. It is estimated that there may be at least 15,000 types of PFAS. … ” Read more from EcoWatch.
