In May 2020, we reported that five European Union countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Denmark) took the first step in an effort to try to restrict the manufacture and sale of all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the EU. Now, the...
Toxic Tort
EPA’s About-Face On Asbestos Regulatory Position
On June 30, 2020, the federal government released its Spring Unified Regulatory Agenda (SURA), which provides uniform reporting of data on regulatory and deregulatory activities under development throughout the Federal Government, covering approximately 60...
EPA Signals Additional PFAS Activity In Federal Report
On June 30, 2020, the federal government released its Spring Unified Regulatory Agenda (SURA), which provides uniform reporting of data on regulatory and deregulatory activities under development throughout the Federal Government, covering approximately 60...
PFAS “Essential” Versus “Non-Essential” Use Debate Preview
We recently reported on the EU's European Commission's plan to develop and implement an action plan regarding the use of PFAS in Europe. They key takeaway from the European Commission's stated plans for a future proposal is that the commission may try to enact...
PFAS Industrial Stormwater Requirement Sought By MA
Three states (Massachusetts, Colorado, and New Mexico) asked the EPA to require permitted industrial facilities to monitor PFAS in their stormwater discharges and to develop practices intended to minimize the potential for PFAS to be introduced into stormwater. This...
PFAS Federal Legislation Proposed
On the heels of several other pieces of proposed PFAS legislation recently, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and U.S. Representatives Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mike Turner (R-OH) introduced legislation on July 7, 2020 that aims to...
Maine PFAS Consumer Products Law Is First Of Its Kind
On July 2, 2020, Maine became the first state in the United States to require manufacturers and distributors of children's products that contain PFOS and that are sold in Maine to follow strict reporting requirements. This is an unprecedented piece of legislation...
Supreme Court’s Superfund Ruling Will Significantly Impact PFAS Litigation
In April 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a split decision in which the Justices held that he Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) does not preclude a landowner's right to assert state law claims like nuisance and trespass...
States and NGOs Fight Back Against Asbestos Petition Denied By EPA
Last week, we reported on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) apparent about-face on its position as to whether it has sufficient information from companies regarding asbestos use in order to determine whether further limitations should be places on the...
New Lancet Study Argues PFAS Act Like Hormone Disruptors
On July 21, 2020, a new report in the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology ("EDCs: time to take action” 21 July 2020, Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology) argues the various types of chemicals, including certain PFAS, may be linked to human health problems...










