The chemicals can accumulate in the human body.
The Environmental Protection Agency in 2011 approved the use of chemicals in fracking that can break down into toxic substances known as PFAS. The substances, known as “forever chemicals,” can accumulate in the human body and have been linked to cancer, birth defects, pre-eclampsia, and other health concerns. The fluid that creates these substances has been used in fracking for oil and gas in nearly 1,200 wells across the United States.
EPA regulators had previously expressed concerns about using these chemicals, saying that they can “degrade in the environment, and they were found to be “toxic to people, wild animals, and birds.” The approval of these chemicals, made a decade ago, was not widely known until a report was issued by Physicians for Social Responsibility was made public.
An EPA spokesperson said the chemicals were approved a decade ago and that the agency now has to affirm that new chemicals are safe before they’re allowed in the marketplace. He added that the initial approval documents were redacted because of a statute protecting proprietary business information.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For officials and scientists with the Environmental Protection Agency as they reconsider the renewal of approvals of the fracking chemicals.
- For regulators in other industries as they review and evaluate the use of toxic chemicals.
Sources: Axios, New York Times
