Bonta sues makers of ‘forever chemicals’ + Lackey declares victory over Smith
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
BONTA SUES MAKERS OF ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’
Newly-elected California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that he is suing the manufacturers of PFAS chemicals, also called “forever chemicals,” for endangering the public’s health and causing irreparable harm to the state’s natural environment.
Among the defendants in the lawsuit are 3M and DuPont.
“PFAS are as ubiquitous in California as they are harmful,” Bonta said in a statement. “As a result of a decades-long campaign of deception, PFAS are in our waters, our clothing, our houses, and even our bodies. The damage caused by 3M, DuPont, and other manufacturers of PFAS is nothing short of staggering, and without drastic action, California will be dealing with the harms of these toxic chemicals for generations.”
PFAS (short for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are found in the blood of an estimated 98% of Californians, according to Bonta’s office. They are widely used in consumer products including food packaging, cookware, clothing, carpets, shoes, fabrics, polishes, waxes, paints and cleaning products.
They resist degradation, persist in soil and are known to leach into groundwater.
“PFAS can cause adverse health impacts including developmental defects, liver, kidney, testicular, breast, pancreas, and prostate cancer, adverse pregnancy outcomes, infertility, reduced bone density in children, and impacts on the thyroid and immune system,” according to Bonta’s office.
In California, PFAS are found to be in especially high levels near airports, refineries, chrome plating facilities, military bases and landfills. They also have been detected in at least 146 public water systems, serving an estimated 16 million Californians.
In the lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta alleges that the manufacturers “knew or should have known about the dangers of PFAS when they made and/or sold products containing them and that the manufacturers’ failed to warn about the dangers of PFAS and in many cases concealed them.”
The state is seeking injunctive relief, financial damages and penalties, restitution and abatement.
TOM LACKEY DECLARES VICTORY
Republican Assemblymen Tom Lackey and Thurston “Smitty” Smith were placed by redistricting into the unenviable position of having to run against one another. Only one man could continue to serve, and voters decided that it would be Lackey.
Lackey declared victory Friday, saying that he is grateful to voters for sending him back to Sacramento.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve our community in the State Assembly and I look forward to continuing the good work we are doing to keep the High Desert safe and prosperous,” he said in a statement.
The Assemblyman took the occasion to honor his election opponent, Smith, whom Lackey was beating with 57.6% of the vote as of Friday.
“Running against a colleague is never ideal. Assemblyman Smith served with integrity and I thank him for his dedication and commitment to our community,” Lackey said.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Twitter brought us both the Arab Spring and the Trump Presidency. Helluva ride for democracy in a short period.”
- California GOP consultant Mike Madrid, via Twitter.
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