Mark Ruffalo is among those praising the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision announced Friday to designate two “forever chemicals” linked to cancer and other health problems as hazardous substances under the Superfund Act.
The EPA’s proposed rule requires that releases of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds into soil or water be reported to federal, state, or tribal authorities if they reach or exceed certain levels that could facilitate cleanup efforts.
Some of the compounds, PFOA and PFOS, part of a larger class of “chemicals for life” than PFAS, have been voluntarily eliminated by US manufacturers, substances do not break down in the environment and accumulate in humans and animals. with time. It is believed to be in the blood of 99% of Americans.
PFAS have been linked to many diseases, including cancers. Man-made synthetic materials have been used in consumer and industrial products since the 1940s, including stain- and water-resistant fabrics and rugs, cleaning products, and even non-stick cookware.
“We have all paid for decades, in higher healthcare costs and higher drinking water bills, for one of the greatest environmental crimes in history,” said Ruffalo. New York Times, which Ruffalo also tweeted. According to timeRuffalo said the move will hold chemical polluters accountable.
Ruffalo helped bring the PFAS issue to the forefront by playing real-life attorney Rob Billot in the 2019 environmental legal thriller. dark watersDirected by Todd Haynes. After the film’s release, Ruffalo and other lawyers joined forces dark waters Participant Media’s Fight Forever Chemicals campaign urging companies to remove chemicals from their products for good and consumers not to support these products. The campaign also supported the labeling of chemicals as hazardous substances and the establishment of an applicable standard for drinking water.
Talk to the hollywood reporter In front of dark watersIn his speech, Billott hoped the film would bring the issue of public health to a wider audience.
Billot told the Associated Press on Friday that the EPA’s proposal “sends a loud and clear message to the world that the United States finally recognizes and accepts the overwhelming evidence that these man-made toxins pose a significant threat to public health.” . “. .”
Source: Hollywood Reporter

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