Home Depot recently announced its intention to remove PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)-coated rugs and carpets from its shelves by the close of 2019. PFAS are a class of over 4,000 chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment and the human body. ...
Massachusetts Governor Proposes Bill to Fund PFAS Cleanup Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker filed a bill for supplemental spending in early September that includes funding for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) cleanup efforts across the state. ...
One of the greatest challenges for insuring against climate risk is the unknown severity of that risk. Insurers are grappling with the difficult task of tailoring historic risk models to insure against climate events that are increasing in frequency and severity and...
After ten years of enormously destructive and increasingly severe fire seasons, the 2020 fire season in California has been the worst one yet. Over the past decade, California has seen 8 of its 10 biggest fires in its history. So far, 3.2 million acres have burned in...
With a high rate of unemployment due to Covid-19, people across the United States are looking for ways to save money. In some cases, this cost saving takes the form of reducing one’s personal insurance coverage. In the 2009 recession, the Insurance Research Council...
Covid-19 has caused numerous changes to the restaurant and food industries in the United States, from increased sanitation to expanded exhaust ventilation requirements to social distancing and more. However, one enormous change has come in a surprising area and is...
The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) recently passed the annual spending bill for the Department of Defense, which included a number of new requirements to reduce PFAS use and remediate existing sites. Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) are a...
On January 7, 2020, the White House announced its intention to veto the PFAS 2019 Action Plan. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) are a class of over 4,000 manmade chemicals with unique physical properties that make them water repellant, oil repellant, and...
With sweeping declarations identifying a need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of high-paying jobs, the proposed Green New Deal superficially appears to be the climate legislation that green advocates have been waiting for. However, upon closer...
On November 7, 2020, Mansfield, Massachusetts voters approved spending $13.9 million for a new water project. The project is intended to address the town’s excess polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) levels in public wells. Town Manager Kevin Dumas wants to start...