On Friday, April 21, 2023, John Gardella will attend and speak at the ABA’s Toxic Torts & Environmental Law Spring Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. This year, the conference will focus entirely on PFAS, and the ABA describes the event as follows: “The speakers will take lessons from the development of the PFAS litigation and provide an analysis of the most recent national trends toxic tort and environmental litigation, takeaways from recent benzene and PFA matters, and discussions with regulators and educators regarding the future of regulatory affairs and new routes of chemical exposure and ingestion. Along the way the panelists will speak on the differences in the personal injury litigation, environmental due diligence, and environmental restoration litigation.”

John will moderate a panel of highly esteemed experts to discuss the topic of “The State of Medicine and the State of Science.” As described in the program agenda, “Since use of PFAS chemicals began in the 1940s, PFAS have been detected globally in wildlife, in human blood serum, and in the ambient environment and humans are exposed to PFAs through a variety of pathways, including through drinking water, food, air, and through maternal to fetal transfer. Current studies suggest a relationship between exposure to certain levels of PFAs and a number of negative health outcomes, and there are many challenges unique to evaluating suspected PFAS-related health outcomes in both occupational and non-occupational communities. The State of Medicine and Science panel will discuss key and current studies regarding PFAS and challenges unique to PFAS in creating robust study designs. Panel members will also discuss exposure pathways, ubiquity, and associated health outcomes and how those factors are evaluated when addressing the issue of causation. Further, the panel will discuss the differences between detection, hazard, and risk, and navigating those concepts effectively.”

We look forward to seeing you in Arizona for this wonderful conference!