PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (AP) — A federal study says the chemicals a West Virginia factory used to make non-stick products are dangerous at levels well below those recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
News outlets report the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry released the study on PFAS chemicals Wednesday. It says they are dangerous at levels around 10 times lower than the EPA's advised exposure of 70 parts per trillion.
DuPont used the chemicals to create non-stick products such as Teflon. The company faces thousands of lawsuits from people living near its Washington Works plant.
State senators had urged the EPA in May to publish the study after Politico reported it had been blocked. Politico reported then that the Trump administration blocked the study because it was a "public relations nightmare."