A watchdog group contends that EPA intentionally lied about not finding “forever chemicals” in certain pesticides.
The nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed an information quality complaint to EPA on Tuesday that requests the agency retract a scientific memo and press release from last May that directly contradicts prior independent research.
A 2022 peer-reviewed study found “significant” concentrations of PFOS, a type of PFAS linked to a range of serious illnesses, in 6 out of 10 sampled pesticides. EPA later asked the study’s lead author, Steve Lasee, if the agency could run its own tests on the 10 samples.
In May 2023, EPA released a memo and press release that said the agency “did not find any PFAS in the tested pesticide products” after using a different testing method.
