CLIFF NOTES: About 30 Minnesota communities experienced cyber-related water-system disruptions over roughly 48 hours. Plymouth, Maple Plain, and South St. Paul used manual operations to maintain water service. Braham asked residents to conserve water after computerized pumping controls went offline, but the system returned in about two hours. Officials said water quality remained safe and … Read more
CLIFF NOTES Virginia’s drinking water infrastructure received a C+ grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Virginia has 2,860 public water systems, some of which are more than 200 years old. Aging pipes, population growth, demand, funding limitations, flooding, and drought contribute to infrastructure concerns. Newport News Waterworks says sustained local, state, and federal … Read more
CLIFF NOTES: A 30-inch sewer force main broke in Portsmouth on Aug. 4. The failure released an estimated 3.15 million gallons of sewage and wastewater. A recreational water advisory for Hull Creek was issued Aug. 5 and later lifted. A second crack required an additional repair clamp on Aug. 11. Virginia health officials reported no … Read more
CLIFF NOTES More than 30 Minnesota water systems were targeted in a coordinated cyberattack. Officials found no evidence that drinking water became contaminated. Several cities temporarily relied on manual operations and backup procedures. Federal investigators continue to examine who was responsible. The incident highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity in protecting public water systems. More … Read more
CLIFF NOTES Researchers followed 107 mother-child pairs in the United States and Mexico. Higher early-life PFAS exposure was associated with increased intestinal inflammation markers. Exposure was measured during pregnancy, at birth or shortly after birth. Elevated fecal calprotectin does not prove that a child has inflammatory bowel disease. Reverse osmosis and other certified treatment technologies … Read more
CLIFF NOTES Seventeen environmental groups asked the EPA to reject Opteon 2P50. Chemours wants the PFAS refrigerant approved for two-phase datacenter cooling. The coalition says the company understated possible health and climate risks. Chemours says the cooling system is closed-loop and releases are low. The EPA decision could shape future chemical use across the datacenter … Read more
CLIFF NOTES: Researchers tested coronary blood from 61 patients in Italy. Microplastics appeared in 84.2% of severe heart attack patients. Polyethylene was found in 97% of patients who tested positive. Smoking was the strongest independent predictor of detectable plastics. The study found an association but did not prove that plastics cause heart attacks. A new … Read more
CLIFF NOTES Jeff Jackson led 17 other states and Washington, D.C., in opposing the EPA PFAS rollback. The proposal would remove federal standards for GenX and three related PFAS categories. The states argue that the rollback violates the Safe Drinking Water Act. At least 500,000 eastern North Carolina residents receive water from the PFAS-affected Cape … Read more
CLIFF NOTES Chemours, DuPont and 2,658 North Carolina plaintiffs settled before trial. The residents alleged that GenX and other PFAS contaminated private wells and property. The settlement terms and payment amounts were not publicly disclosed. Separate utility lawsuits and a proposed $450 million federal Chemours agreement remain active issues. Reverse osmosis and certified PFAS filters … Read more
CLIFF NOTES St. Pauls residents sued Robeson County over alleged PFAS contamination linked to the county landfill. Testing cited in the lawsuit found about 25 parts per trillion of GenX in tap-water samples. The samples reportedly averaged 30.3 parts per trillion of PFOA. The plaintiffs want the Rocco Water Treatment Plant restricted until PFAS removal … Read more