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Panel Demands Answers on PFAS Cleanups, Alternatives

House lawmakers pressed top defense officials yesterday for more information on research and cleanup of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. “I represent a community that has a number of PFAS contamination sites,” Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said during a hearing of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.

Dow, Shell, Other Companies Implicated in California TCP Suit

A California water utility has sued Dow Chemical Co., Shell Oil Co., four other companies and hundreds of yet-to-be discovered polluters for allegedly contaminating its drinking water supply with a toxic industrial solvent.

Old Mines Contaminating Water, Soil at 5,000 California Sites

California has about 47,000 abandoned mines and roughly 5,000 of those are contaminating water, soil, vegetation, and air across the state, according to a state report issued Tuesday.

Gold Rush-Era Mercury Mine Closed in 1972 Is Still Contaminating

Nearly half a century after a Gold Rush-era quicksilver mining operation shut down in northern California, mercury continues to flow into a nearby creek, and federal officials blame the mine’s state landmark status for cleanup delays.

The Water is Contaminated. But California Bottled Water Program Isn’t Helping This Town

The cost of buying cases of bottled water for cooking and drinking is adding up for residents of Earlimart, where a contaminated well became the main source of tap water for more than 8,000 people there in late May.

The state Water Resources Control Board that is responsible for drinking water has a program to provide financial assistance for bottled water to help communities in crisis. It has not been available in Earlimart — and it is unclear why.

San Diego, Chula Vista Among Cities Receiving Funds in Monsanto Settlement

A settlement reached over water contamination claims stemming from Monsanto Company’s use of toxic chemicals known as PCBs will send $550 million to several jurisdictions, including the cities of San Diego and Chula Vista, it was announced Wednesday.

California Cities: Monsanto Settlement to Fund Water Cleanup

Major California cities say they’ll use their share of a $650 million settlement to clean up the now-banned chemical PCB from bays, lakes and other waterways polluted for decades. The giant chemical company Monsanto announced a tentative agreement Wednesday with government entities that had filed suit since 2015 over waterways and estuaries they say were polluted.

Military Bases With Possible PFAS Water Contamination Rise. Is Yours on the List?

The number of known military sites where cancer-linked firefighting foam may have contaminated groundwater across the United States has jumped to 651 from 401, and the cleanup bill will likely cost billions of dollars more than initially estimated, according to a new Pentagon report.

The new report was directed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper as part of his focus on PFAS contamination and lists hundreds of additional locations, many of them Army National Guard sites, in all 50 states where area groundwater may have been contaminated by the chemical compound.

Bacteria at the Water Fountain: How San Diego Scientists Use E. Coli to Test for Toxins in Water

It’s not always easy to tell if the water you’re drinking is safe. Some ways to check include lab testing and filters. And soon it could include E. coli bacteria. San Diego scientists are developing a new bacteria-based water sensing technology.

At Edison Elementary School in City Heights on a December afternoon, excited school children are grabbing their favorite foods and drinks.

It is well known that what children consume here impacts their brains and bodies. From the teriyaki chicken to the drinking water at the nearby fountain.

Trash Creates Massive Stormwater Clog in Tijuana, and Fixing it Could Mean a Mess for San Diego

It started with last month’s heavy rains that brought an unprecedented volume of debris tumbling down Tijuana’s Matadero Canyon: old mattresses, used furniture, discarded construction material. That led to a clogged storm drain by the border fence, authorities said, and the flooding of a nearby sewage pump station.

The resulting pool of trash and sewage-contaminated water has now been raising fears in San Diego.