Day: October 21, 2021

By: Tony Aguilar, Community Organizing Intern
Time and time again, it seems as though legislation always swings in the direction of big industries–especially the chemical, oil and gas, and pharmaceutical industries–rather than in the direction of the general public. A small number of pharmaceutical companies have been allowed to control the market on drugs and thereby control the prices, making it more and more difficult for Americans to get the drugs that they need. Toxic chemicals continue to pollute our environment and harmful drilling practices like hydraulic fracturing often go unchecked and unchallenged by our government. In a nation where the government is supposed to be of the people, for the people, and by the people, something seems to have gone awry.
The answer to why or how this has happened is probably clear to many by now. These industries have become so large and powerful that they seem to have a stronghold on the government. So, what exactly is at stake here for the American people? Well, in addition to all of the environmental damage that these industries are doing to the planet, they are also putting the lives of millions of Americans at risk in order to make more money. Not only are these industries putting lives at risk for the sake of money, but at the thousands of sites across the country where toxic chemicals are polluting communities, the government cannot seem to find it in the budget to clean up these sites and protect public health. Laws that hold polluters responsible for the cleanup continue to give these industries the benefit of the doubt.
Any work to clean up areas where people are being exposed to toxic chemicals is done at a snail’s pace and the government agencies that were created to help protect us from environmental harms often take the side of industry as well.  Recent evidence has been uncovered showing that the EPA, the nation’s defense against environmental dangers, has even approved some chemicals that have been shown to be harmful to humans and the environment to be used in hydraulic fracturing–again, giving the oil and gas industry the benefit of the doubt without taking every precaution to ensure public safety. Many chemicals that are released into our environment and our communities have been related to public health hazards yet they are approved by the EPA on the grounds that the evidence is incomplete or that a causal connection cannot be made between the chemicals and illnesses in humans. Rather than erring on the side of caution, the government gives polluting industries every opportunity to make a profit, while disregarding possible risks to public health.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 was created to hold polluters accountable for their pollution by charging a tax on polluting companies that would be used to clean up areas of waste and toxic contamination. Since this “polluter-pay” tax expired in 1995, the average number of cleanups completed per year fell from 71 to just 12, leaving more toxic chemicals in our air, water, and soil posing a threat to communities all over the country. 
Despite these grim circumstances, there is still hope in our future. These industries have a daunting power that seems insurmountable, but we as the People, have a power that is not to be taken lightly. Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan includes a provision to reinstate this “polluter-pay” tax which would result in more money for the government to clean up communities that have been affected by decades of industrial pollution. This is just one effort in the fight to shift the priority onto the people, where it always should have been, and away from profit-hungry industry. 
Although this signals a glimmer of hope, we as the people need to make sure we exercise our power as the chemical, oil and gas industries are sure to do everything in their power to ensure that the polluter-pay tax does not make it into legislation. This new bill will be yet another test of where America’s priorities truly lie.
Photo Credit: Stuart Villanueva/The Daily News file photo

By: Leia Ku Cheng Yee, Communications and Development Intern
Since I have been living in California for 5 years, and have only been drinking tap water, I have always wondered if the water is safe for every Californian. Although I am a tap water advocate, and a firm believer that plastic bottled water is negatively impacting the environment, it is also significant to point out that not all individuals have the privilege to enjoy clean water. 
After listening to Andrea Amico’s story about the PFAS contamination at the Pease International Tradeport, I did some research and discovered that more than 300 drinking water wells in California have traces of chemicals, including PFAS, that is linked to cancer. I was shocked after reading about it in the Los Angeles Times, because most Californians are unaware that they are drinking traces of chemicals. Although they are concentrated largely in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, contaminated wells are found statewide, in rural as well as urban areas. 
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they persist indefinitely and accumulate in our bodies. Children and mothers are the most vulnerable to this chemical, and it can affect their reproductive and developmental health. PFAS also has been traced to kidney and testicular cancer, as well as high cholesterol and thyroid disease. It is a key ingredient in firefighting foam used in military bases, and has become a major component of groundwater pollution. But the chemicals are everywhere, hard to break down, and expensive to clean up. To learn more about PFAS, visit http://chej.org/toxictuesdays/.
Some utilities have treated the water to remove most of the chemicals, while others have started blending contaminated water with other sources to lower their concentration. Now, the new state law has required water providers to notify customers if the level of PFAS exceeds the threshold. But, it is not enough. Although the ultimate solution is to clean up, funding is scarce, and it is simply too costly to treat or replace the contaminated water. To cover the costs, water providers across California have begun what legal experts suspect could become a flood of lawsuits. 
Moreover, PFAS contamination in California is also an environmental justice issue. On any given day, one million Californians lack access to safe and affordable drinking water. Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately harmed by this drinking water crisis, which affects hundreds of small, primarily rural communities across the state. In many cases, these communities lack the collective resources to pay for the high costs of treating or replacing contaminated water. It is not unusual for low-income residents to pay upwards of 10 percent of their income for safe water.