York Sewer District of Maine recently partnered with SL Environmental Law Group P.C. to file a lawsuit on behalf of York Sewer District against 3M Company, E.I. DuPont de Nemours Inc., and other manufacturers of PFAS.
The case was filed following sampling of wastewater effluent and biosolids from the district’s wastewater treatment plant serving York. Levels indicate contamination of the wastewater system from mostly household residential sources as York has no significant industry.
Highland Water Tower: A Glimpse into Water Management
The 95-year-old Highland water tower in St. Paul, Minnesota, originally designed both for functionality and community gathering, recently opened to the public — something it does twice per year.
Beyond offering views from its observation deck, the tower educates visitors about water management, showcasing the evolution of the city's piping systems and treatment processes. The tower, operational until 2017, stored up to 200,000 gallons of water.
EPA Proposes Ban on Trichloroethylene
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has put forth a proposal to ban all applications of trichloroethylene (TCE), a manufacturing solvent linked to cancer that is found in thousands of water sources around the world.
While suspicions about TCE's harmful effects on human health arose in the 1960s, it continues to be used in some sectors and persists in the environment for extended periods. Following a January revision to the Toxic Substances Control Act, the EPA determined that TCE poses an unreasonable health risk. The proposed ban would be enacted in stages, beginning with most commercial uses within a year, according to CNN.
