Last year the State Attorney General, DEP, and Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) filed a lawsuit against Dow, Ferro, and Vulcan for 1,4 Dioxane contamination affecting groundwater in New Jersey. I had never even heard of this chemical until I read the story in The Jersey Sierran.
It seems that this chemical used in cosmetics, shampoos, and detergents, listed on the items as PEG or polyethylene, has been floating in our groundwater for half a century, and is classified by the US EPA as “likely” to be carcinogenic to humans; it is in animals. The EPA is one of those agencies on the cutting board of the Heritage Foundation’s 2025 plan. In other words, you’re not supposed to know what can kill you.
Listening to those decrying the so-called “administrative state,” one would think it will kill us. What’s going to kill us is ignorance of contaminants used by chemical companies. Consider the pollution we can’t even see that “Better living through chemistry” often brings us. Yes, we do have better living but not when companies hide what they put into the items you and I buy and use. That’s called fraud.
Prayer for the Day
Water, the source of life you created, O God,
May we keep it pristine and pure and safe;
Streams and rivulets bubbling up from the ground,
May we understand their importance to the earth.
Guide us, O Lord, in keeping the earth and its water
Clean and pure from harmful substances.
In the name of the One who is our guide,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
1,4-Dioxane can be released into the air, water, and soil at places where it is produced or used as a solvent. In soil, 1,4-dioxane does not stick to soil particles, so it can move from soil into groundwater. In water, 1,4-Dioxane is stable and does not break down.
From U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
For decades, these defendants misrepresented and failed to disclose the risks and consequences associated with using their products. They must be held accountable for the harms to the public and the environment arising from their deceptive sales tactics and lack of transparency
Cari Fais, Acting Director of DCA, March 23, 2023
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. -- Proverbs 10:6