Monthly Archives: December 2023

EPA’s new chemical review process: A thought experiment

By Samantha Liskow / Published: December 21, 2023
Two metal gears meshing. The one on the top says "process." The one on the bottom says "optimization."

Note: This is the last in our 6-part series of blogs on EPA’s proposed changes to its new chemical review process. See below under Go Deeper for links to the other blogs in the series.

In our previous blogs in this multipart series, we have focused on some of the major changes we believe EPA needs to make in its review process for new chemicals—and how EPA could propose regulations to make those reviews safer.

In this post, we want to walk you through why EPA must set rules that protect us from all the ways that a chemical is likely to be used. Read More »

Posted in Chemical regulation, Congress, Cumulative risk assessment, Risk assessment, Risk evaluation, Rules/Regulations, TSCA / Authors: / Comments are closed

Eliminating lead service lines yields huge benefits for reducing premature cardiovascular deaths

By Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative / Published: December 6, 2023

What’s New?

EPA has proposed improvements to the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) to reduce lead in drinking water. The proposed rule would require utilities to eliminate the nation’s roughly 9.2 million lead service lines (LSLs) at an estimated cost of $2.1 to $2.9 billion per year.1

The socioeconomic benefits from the rule vastly outweigh the cost and range from $17.3 to $34.8 billion per year2 – a whopping 8 to 12 times the annual cost of replacement. Read More »

Posted in Drinking water, Lead, Public health, Rules/Regulations / Tagged , , , , , , , | Authors: / Comments are closed

New updates to understanding packaging scorecard spur a safer & more sustainable foodservice industry

By EDF Blogs / Published: December 1, 2023

By Cassie Huang, MPH, Project Manager, Consumer Health

Mixed greens salad in a paper container

Note: This blog is cross-posted from the EDF + Business blog.

Products, Packaging & Waste

Amid growing concerns about the environmental impact of single-use plastics, consumers have increasingly sought out alternatives made with renewable materials—as demonstrated by the rise in popularity of the paper straw. Unfortunately, this summer many eco-conscious consumers were devastated to learn of a recent analysis of drinking straws that detected PFAS in paper straws.1

Read More »

Posted in BPA, Food, Food contact materials, Food packaging, Markets and Retail / Tagged , , , | Authors: / Comments are closed