EPA Issues Draft Revisions to its Risk Determination for the 1-Bromopropane (1-BP) Risk Evaluation Issued Under the Toxic Substance Control Act

On July 20, 2022, EPA published a draft revision to its risk determination for 1-bromopropane, also referred to as "1-BP." EPA proposed revisions to supersede the conditions of use previously issued in the 2020 1-BP evaluation. Due to recent policy changes, EPA is replacing its condition of use-specific unreasonable risk determinations with a determination of unreasonable risk for 1-BP as a whole chemical substance driven by certain condition of uses.

As part of the revision, EPA is removing the assumption of personal protective equipment use by workers, which means that 23 out of 25 conditions of use evaluated would drive the determination that 1-BP presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health under its conditions of use. Two out of 25 conditions of use would not drive the unreasonable risk: commercial and consumer use of 1-BP in insulation for building and construction materials, and distribution in commerce.

Comments are due on August 19, 2022.

Read the revised risk determination here
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-07/1-Bromopropane%20Draft%20Revised%20Unreasonable%20Risk%20Determination.pdf

​The world's largest vertical farm ready to produce more than 2 million pounds of leafy greens annually.

The world's largest vertical farm using 95% less water and is ready to produce more than 2 million pounds of leafy greens annually.

Bustanica was built by Crop One Holdings in collaboration with Emirates Flight Catering. It recently opened its doors in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, near Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. The facility is as big as 330,000-square-foot and spans over 175 yards.
95% less water

The crops produced in the facility will turn out clean and not require pre-washing as they will grow without pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals. The facility itself employs 95 percent less water, unlike traditional farms, and will produce three tons of output per day while wielding machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.

The facility utilizes a closed-loop system that circulates water through plants to use water efficiently. Water vaporizes during the watering process and is recycled into the system, which saves 250m liters of water every year compared to traditional outdoor farming producing the same output.


Read full at:
https://interestingengineering.com/the-worlds-largest-vertical-farm-using-95-less-water-opens-in-dubai

7 Cryptomining Companies Use Nearly as Much Energy as All Homes in Houston, Congressional Investigation Finds

A new congressional investigation, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), has found that seven of the top Bitcoin mining companies will use about as much energy as all the homes in Houston (nearly 1 million homes), the fourth most populous city in the U.S.

A group of Democratic Senators, including Warren and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) for more regulations on the cryptomining industry.

"The results of our investigation … are disturbing … revealing that cryptominers are large energy users that account for a significant – and rapidly growing – amount of carbon emissions," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to EPA and DOE. "Our investigation suggests that the overall U.S. cryptomining industry is likely to be problematic for energy and emissions. But little is known about the full scope of cryptomining activity. Given these concerns, it is imperative that your agencies work together to address the lack of information about cryptomining's energy use and environmental impacts, and use all available authorities at your disposal…  to require reporting of energy use and emissions from cryptominers."

Please read full from sources:
https://grist.org/climate-energy/congress-crypto-mining-electricity-use-houston/
and
https://www.ecowatch.com/cryptomining-companies-energy.html

Maine Act To Stop Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution

In July 2021, Public Law c. 477, An Act To Stop Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution (LD 1503, 130th Legislature) was enacted by the Maine Legislature. This new law requires manufacturers of products with intentionally added PFAS to report the intentionally added presence of PFAS in those products to the Department beginning January 1, 2023. The law also prohibits the sale of carpets or rugs, as well as the sale of fabric treatments, that contain intentionally added PFAS beginning on January 1, 2023. Effective January 1, 2030, any product containing intentionally added PFAS may not be sold in Maine unless the use of PFAS in the product is specifically designated as a currently unavoidable use by the Department.

 

To implement the product notification requirements the Department is working with the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse to develop an online reporting database similar to those already in use by other states. The Department is also in the process of developing a rule to clarify the upcoming reporting requirements. During the rule development process there will be an opportunity for stakeholder input on the implementation of the program. If you are interested, please sign up to receive notification of Department rulemaking and opportunity to comment notices on our website. 

 

There is also a FAQ at https://www1.maine.gov/dep/spills/topics/pfas/PFAS-products/index.html

Notice - Wisconsin PFOA/PFOS Rules to Take Effect August 1

Effective August 1, 2022 are two PFOA/PFOS rules. One on drinking water rule (CR 21‐088) and the second on surface water rule

CR 21-088
Department of Natural Resources (NR)
Environmental Protection – Water Supply
The promulgation of new drinking water maximum contaminant levels for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) including Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)

Visit https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/register/2022/798b/register#cr

for details.

CDC study finds ‘Disturbing’: weedkiller ingredient tied to cancer found in 80% of US urine samples

theguardian: CDC study finds glyphosate, controversial ingredient found in weedkillers including popular Roundup brand, present in samples

More than 80% of urine samples drawn from children and adults in a US health study contained a weedkilling chemical linked to cancer, a finding scientists have called "disturbing" and "concerning".

The report by a unit of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that out of 2,310 urine samples, taken from a group of Americans intended to be representative of the US population, 1,885 were laced with detectable traces of glyphosate. This is the active ingredient in herbicides sold around the world, including the widely used Roundup brand. Almost a third of the participants were children ranging from six to 18.
A bumblebee covered in pollen

Academics and private researchers have been noting high levels of the herbicide glyphosate in analyses of human urine samples for years. But the CDC has only recently started examining the extent of human exposure to glyphosate in the US, and its work comes at a time of mounting concerns and controversy over how pesticides in food and water impact human and environmental health.

"I expect that the realization that most of us have glyphosate in our urine will be disturbing to many people," said Lianne Sheppard, professor at the University of Washington's department of environmental and occupational health sciences. Thanks to the new research, "we know that a large fraction of the population has it in urine. Many people will be thinking about whether that includes them."

Read full here:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/09/weedkiller-glyphosate-cdc-study-urine-samples

Read full CDC report here:
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/Nchs/Nhanes/2013-2014/SSGLYP_H.htm

Glyphosate weedkiller damages wild bee colonies, study reveals
Read more
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/02/glyphosate-weedkiller-damages-wild-bumblebee-colonies

Revealed: US water likely contains more cancer causing ‘forever chemicals’ than EPA tests show

Guardian analysis of water samples taken in nine US locations shows test agency uses is likely missing significant levels of PFAS pollutants

A Guardian analysis of water samples from around the United States shows that the type of water testing relied on by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is so limited in scope that it is probably missing significant levels of PFAS pollutants.

The undercount leaves regulators with an incomplete picture of the extent of PFAS contamination and reveals how millions of people may be facing an unknown health risk in their drinking water.

The analysis checked water samples from PFAS hot spots around the country with two types of tests: an EPA-developed method that detects 30 types of the approximately 9,000 PFAS compounds, and another that checks for a marker of all PFAS.

The Guardian found that seven of the nine samples collected showed higher levels of PFAS in water using the test that identifies markers for PFAS, than levels found when the water was tested using the EPA method – and at concentrations as much as 24 times greater.

"The EPA is doing the bare minimum it can and that's putting people's health at risk," said Kyla Bennett, policy director at the advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Ties to cancer

PFAS are a class of chemicals used since the 1950s to make thousands of products repel water, stains and heat. They are often called "forever chemicals" because they don't fully break down, accumulating in the environment, humans and animals. Some are toxic at very low levels and have been linked to cancer, birth defects, kidney disease, liver problems, decreased immunity and other serious health issues.

Read full at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/06/us-drinking-water-pfas-toxic-forever-chemicals-epa-tests

The US Supreme Court Narrows EPA’s Authority to Regulate GHG Under the Clean Air Act

In a 6-3 decision issued today in the case West Virginia v. EPA, the United States Supreme Court held that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exceeded its statutory authority when it attempted to enact an economy-wide, power generation shifting rule in 2015 known as the Clean Power Plan. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts cited a series of recent decisions where the Court held that administrative agencies had attempted to regulate the economy far beyond Congressionally delegated powers, implicating serious constitutional separation of powers questions. Citing its "major questions" doctrine, the Court concluded that Section 111 of the Clean Air Act does not empower EPA to substantially restructure the American energy market. Rather, the statute empowers the agency to regulate emissions and not direct an economy-wide shift of energy sources, that Congress "conspicuously and repeatedly" rejected. The Court noted that its "major questions" doctrine refers to "an identifiable body of law that has developed over a series of significant cases all addressing a particular and recurring problem: agencies asserting highly consequential power beyond what Congress could reasonably be understood to have granted." The decision does not disturb EPA's authority to regulate GHGs under the Clean Air Act, but significantly narrows that authority. The decision also fails to directly address the scope of EPA's authority to regulated GHG's under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act.

Read full at:
https://www.michaelbest.com/Newsroom/291812/The-US-Supreme-Court-Narrows-EPAs-Authority-to-Regulate-GHG-under-the-Clean-Air-Act