The growing threat of forever chemicals

The transition to natural refrigerants offers a viable way forward, but there is an urgent need for legislative action and improved regulations to accelerate it. This would help reduce dangerous PFAS pollution, and reduce emissions at the same time, a win for both health and the environment.

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault. In Canada, there has been limited progress toward controlling PFAS, though this may be starting to change. In June 2024, British Columbia became the first Canadian jurisdiction to launch a national class-action lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers to recover cleanup costs for PFAS pollution in drinking water.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY BLAISE SALMON

February 27, 2025

Robert Bilott has been fighting big chemical companies and PFAS chemicals for more than 25 years. Known as “forever chemicals” for their persistence in nature, PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) encompass more than 14,000 synthetic fluorinated chemicals that ...

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