Do you have Teflon-coated pans, utensils and appliances?
DuPont has disclosed “that it has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in fines or to settle lawsuits related to PFOA,” but shareholders are demanding more transparency. More below, including the peanut farmers’ victory against Dow Chemical:
Here’s an example of a group of shareholders who have bought shares, joined as a group, and put pressure on a major corporation:
DuPont Shareholders for Fair Value wants a public accounting of all related expenses DuPont’s management has incurred since 1981, including the costs of experts, lawyers, public relations and remediation.
“While DuPont has disclosed some information, we believe more transparency of the costs associated with the company’s use of PFOA would promote sound corporate governance,” reads the resolution that shareholders will be asked to support when they meet Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware.
DuPont is currently the only US manufacturer of C8. NewStandardNews.net
————————————————-
I’ll give you one chance to name who dissented . . .
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that 29 peanut farmers in Texas can proceed with their lawsuit against Dow Agrosciences after the chemical giant’s weed killer unexpectedly destroyed their crops.
The ruling reinstates the farmers’ claim that Dow essentially failed to warn of possible risks. A lower court had dismissed the claims, reasoning that federal law barred states from imposing labeling requirements on pesticides and herbicides other than those set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
But in an opinion by Justice John Paul Stevens, the court ordered the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to take a second look at the case.
[…………]
In a separate opinion, Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia agreed that the lower court should take a second look. However, they suggested the peanut farmers will fail again upon further review unless they do a better job of stating how their claims don’t relate to federal labeling requirements.
Dow’s appeal had drawn the support of several industry groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Bush administration, who argued they would be unfairly exposed to additional lawsuits if the peanut farmers prevailed.
“Pesticide manufacturers would be subject to multiple and inconsistent labeling regimes and would be forced to abandon or alter EPA-approved labels to avoid liability,” acting Solicitor General Paul Clement wrote in filings.
Dow Agrosciences LLC is a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Co. In trading on Wednesday, Dow Chemical shares fell 70 cents to close at $44.77 on the New York Stock Exchange. …
Poor Dow Chemical.
Damn activist judges! We need reform in the courts! I bet that commie Justice Stevens looked up his opinion sources on the INTERNETS!
CBS says the EPA is on it:
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a draft assessment of the potential risks of perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts, known as PFOA, or C-8. The report, based on animal studies, says some evidence exists that PFOA is carcinogenic in rats, but the cancer hazard for people is less certain.
It suggests the chemical targets the liver and is present in the breast milk of rats. It also says the chemical could raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people — a finding that chemical maker Du Pont Co. publicly released Tuesday. Du Pont said its study found no overall health problems. …CBS
John Gotti died of cancer. I guess that’s what they meant when they called him the Teflon Don.
Just as added background information, here’s a snippet about Teflon poisoning in birds (can’t be too good for humans either):
PTFE toxicity can occur anytime of year, and it’s consequences are devastating. The only clinical signs of illness are birds starting to drop off their perches or displaying severe respiratory distress such as open-mouthed breathing, tail-bobbing, or even audible respiratory rales (raspy breathing sounds) followed quickly by death.
The cause of PTFE toxicity is gaseous emission of the material from nonstick cookware. The brand of cookware does not have to be Teflon. Any brand of Teflon-type non-stick cookware, such as Silverstone<sup>TM</sup>, can result in intoxication. Also, cookware is not an exclusive culprit; this toxicosis has been caused by heat lamps coated with Teflon backing as well as range-burner or eye backings that are coated with the substance.
PTFE toxicity occurs because the coating is overheated. This usually is a result of forgetting that the cookware is on the stove and leaving it empty or letting the contents overheat and dry. The excessive heat causes Teflon coating to enter a gaseous state. For humans and other mammals, the PTFE gas is innocuous in the concentrations reached. However, birds are exquisitely sensitive to the gas and are quickly overcome by the vapor.
Some cases of mammalian, including human, intoxications occurred back in the early days of the products, but better chemical bonding processes reduced gaseous emissions. However, this did not eliminate all emissions when the substance overheats. And, the chances of gaseous emission increase as the cookware ages or undergoes repeated use or is continuously overheated.
Keep in mind that perfluorooctanoic acid is not the same as polytetrafluorethylene. The first is used in the production of the second. For example, monochlorobenzene is used in the production of DDT, but they obviously are not the same.
Having said that, I think shareholders should be very aggressive about DuPont’s management disclosing environmental liabilities. The under-reporting of environmental liabilities on SEC 10K forms appears widespread, in my opinion.
no matter how carefully you stir or that you use only wooden utensils, tiny bits of the stuff flake off and go into your food.
So glad to see this getting some attention, at last. It’s been an issue among holistic health enviros for years. Better to cook in stainless steel or glass utensils. And for god’s sake limit your use of microwaves.
HELP!
Can you tell us if we need to get rid of all of our non-stick cookware?
My daughter got a big box of Caphalon non-stick cookware — including a brownie pan, etc. — as a gift. Is it safe? How do we find out?
As far as I know, Caphalon = Teflon.
Exchange it for stainless steel. Revere may still make some. I use Revere plus All-Clad professional pans. Hideously expensive, aluminum over stainless core, fabulous heat distribution. Worth the cost.
I also have a couple of really old French copper pans, but they need re-tinning. Don’t know if I’ll bother. In addition, I have a couple of old-fashioned blue enamel metal pans, plus a great old cast-iron skillet. And a couple of glass pans; I think they’re Corning type stuff.
I think the big marketing thing on Caphalon/Teflon has been because it is supposedly “non-stick” and thus makes cooking “easier.” Which is sort of weasel wording for “making it possible for people who don’t know how or don’t want to learn how to cook.” Plus, with a non-stick surface, they can make the pan itself out of lesser-quality material.
Don’t take my word for it, though. Do some Google prowling. You may find very eye-opening stuff.