Santa Fe New Mexican: Report: Military’s Flawed Oversight of Toxic Chemicals Increased Risks to Personnel, Public — The U.S. Defense Department responded too slowly to reduce the potential dangers of PFAS chemicals, and then failed to put in place adequate measures to protect personnel, the environment and communities near military bases, says a newly released inspector general’s report. The report also faults the military for not taking a comprehensive or “enterprise-wide” approach in tackling PFAS—focusing mainly on PFAS in fire-retardant foam and not the other sources.

USA Today: Johnson & Johnson Marketed Baby Powder to Black Women Amid Cancer Concerns, Lawsuit Says — The case cites reports describing Johnson & Johnson’s “targeted marketing to Black women,” including a report in 2019 from Reuters that nearly half of the company’s spending on promotions for baby powder in 2008 and 2010 was “directed at overweight and minority women.” Thus far, scientific findings on the link between talc-based baby powder and ovarian cancer are mixed.

JD Supra: New Jersey Talc Verdicts Overturned On Appeal For Daubert-Less Expert Opinions — The panel’s decision to overturn the multi-million talc verdicts is a huge win for defendants battling junk science in toxic tort litigation. It is also a key indicator to the plaintiffs’ bar that unsupported theories masked as “expert opinions” will no longer be tolerated or admitted in New Jersey if they do not meet the standards employed by Daubert.

Forbes: Cleantech Company 374Water Touts PFAS-Eliminating Technology That ‘Makes Toxic Sludge Turn To Water’ — North Carolina-based 374Water recently announced plans to upgrade its water oxidation systems, which the company says may fundamentally change the way waste management is deployed. At a wastewater treatment plant, the system treats sludges and biosolids, reducing volume by 97% and rendering the material into recoverable and reusable clean water, inert minerals, heat and electricity, according to the company.

JD Supra: Ethylene Oxide: The Litigation Risks and Regulatory Issues Ahead — As the EPA dedicates more time and attention to regulating EtO, the lawyers at JD Supra suggest any company using EtO in its operations must pay close attention to the regulatory issues and litigation risks that lie ahead, particularly those associated with defending personal injury lawsuits based on alleged environmental or occupational exposure to EtO.