![]() But dozens of related compounds are still widely used in firefighting foam, food packaging, stain- and water-resistant clothing, carpets and household products, among other things.įoresight, one of the last coal companies operating in Illinois, declared bankruptcy last year. The compounds are known largely for their use in products featuring the Teflon and Scotchgard brands, manufactured by DuPont and 3M, respectively. Nearly every American has PFAS in their blood, studies have found. Samples collected the next day had PFAS concentrations up to 16 times higher than state health guidelines, records show.įoresight's use of PFAS-laden foam came a month after federal and state regulators ordered a Louisiana-based contractor to switch to safer alternatives while putting out a fire that destroyed a chemical plant near Rockford.Ī lack of uniform federal or state policies reflects how regulators struggle to protect Americans from PFAS more than two decades after it became clear the chemicals pose widespread hazards to public health. "We should have our PFAS crew go out there to do some sampling," Sanjay Sofat, chief of the agency's Bureau of Water, wrote to colleagues. 1, more than three weeks after Foresight evacuated miners at Sugar Camp. Portions of the mine are still smoldering, and federal mining regulators have blocked Foresight from resuming production.Įmails show the Illinois EPA didn't begin looking into potential harm to people and wildlife until Sept. Federal and state officials declined to say anything other than the fire remains under investigation. The activist forwarded the photos to state officials and to the Tribune, which sought more details under the Freedom of Information Act.įoresight executives did not return requests for comment. If the contaminated groundwater is a source of drinking water, then residents may be exposed to PFAS."īoth the fire and Foresight's responses to it remained secret until a local environmental activist took pictures of foam that had drifted to above-ground ditches and farm fields near the mine entrance in Franklin County, about 270 miles southwest of Chicago. "PFAS can seep into groundwater where it won't break down. "Potential environmental impacts are tremendous, especially if the foam is not contained," said Melanie Benesh, an attorney for the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization pushing to ban the chemicals. One of the boreholes is close to a creek where testing this month by the Illinois Environmental Protection detected high levels of PFAS. But inspectors later determined the company had pumped more than 46,000 gallons of PFAS-laden foam into the mine, raising the possibility that nearby private wells and other sources of drinking water could be contaminated.Ĭompany officials also hired contractors to drill boreholes into the mine without a permit, records show. One of Foresight's lawyers told state officials the foam used at the Sugar Camp complex was biodegradable and would not harm fish or wildlife. PFAS are a growing concern worldwide because they remain in the environment forever, linger in the blood of exposed people for years and trigger several health problems, including cancer, liver damage and decreased fertility. Louis-based Foresight Energy is being phased out in Illinois and 11 other states under laws that for the first time restrict unregulated chemicals known as PFAS-shorthand for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
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