Residents near DuPont's W.Va. Washington Works plant, where the Teflon chemical PFOA is produced, are speaking out against a landfill where the company dumped the toxic chemical. DuPont's permit doesn't limit the amount of the Teflon chemical that can leach from the landfill into nearby water supplies, and company tests have shown higher levels in the water than their self-imposed limits. The state is about to issue DuPont another five-year permit, although the company says it plans to close the dump in March.
The Teflon chemical is in 95 percent of Americans' blood, never breaks down in the environment and has been linked to birth defects and cancer in lab studies.
The Charleston Gazette has the article, and EWG's issue page on the Teflon chemical is here.
