25 min

The Global PFAS ‘Forever Chemical’ Crisis Explained by Lawyer Robert Bilott Forever Chemicals

    • Chemistry

If you’ve listened to the Forever Chemicals podcast up until this point or followed the global contamination issue over the last few decades, then you’ll know the name Robert Bilott. 

In this exclusive season one BONUS episode, we hear from Robert Bilott on the current state of the PFAS problem. He emphasizes the crucial role of litigation and advocacy in pushing for necessary regulation, making it clear that our involvement is not just important, but necessary.

The New York Times dubbed Robert Bilott, the “lawyer who became DuPont’s worst nightmare” for his 19-year lawsuit exposing the scientific coverups of chemical companies using PFAS and effectively polluting the planet. 

In 1999, Robert Bilott was approached by a West Virginia farmer, Wilbur Tennant, regarding a mystery pollutant running off onto his farm, killing his cattle and making his family sick.

Flash forward 20+ years. After winning his initial lawsuit for the Tennants against DuPont and then representing 70,000 citizens in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Robert Bilott continues to forge a path ahead, protecting citizens in the United States and abroad from continued PFAS pollution and contamination.

INSTAGRAM:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WEBSITE:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YOUTUBE:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gofund.me/77aac225⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-----------------------

Robert Bilott

Taft Law Firm: https://www.taftlaw.com/people/robert-a-bilott/

Exposure | Book by Robert Bilott: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Exposure/Robert-Bilott/9781501172823

The Devil We Know Documentary: https://youtu.be/7cCkADnhRqk?si=0cI4FWK0jMMBRp7b

Dark Waters Film: https://youtu.be/RvAOuhyunhY?si=5v4QJO_y__lztRDZ

-----------------------

Resources

Recent EPA Ruling: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-finalizes-first-ever-national-drinking-water-standard

Hazardous Substances under Superfund: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-designating-certain-pfas-chemicals-hazardous-substances-under-superfund

RCRA: https://www.epa.gov/hw/proposal-list-nine-and-polyfluoroalkyl-compounds-resource-conservation-and-recovery-act

CA AB 1817: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1817

Environmental Working Group: https://www.ewg.org/areas-focus/toxic-chemicals/pfas-chemicals

Green Science Policy Institute: https://greensciencepolicy.org/our-work/pfas/

-----------------------

If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toxicfreefuture.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Foodandwaterwatch.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pfascentral.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-----------------------

Sources

Birsch, S., & Konsmo, M. (Directors). (2018). The Devil We Know [Documentary film]. Atlas Films.

If you’ve listened to the Forever Chemicals podcast up until this point or followed the global contamination issue over the last few decades, then you’ll know the name Robert Bilott. 

In this exclusive season one BONUS episode, we hear from Robert Bilott on the current state of the PFAS problem. He emphasizes the crucial role of litigation and advocacy in pushing for necessary regulation, making it clear that our involvement is not just important, but necessary.

The New York Times dubbed Robert Bilott, the “lawyer who became DuPont’s worst nightmare” for his 19-year lawsuit exposing the scientific coverups of chemical companies using PFAS and effectively polluting the planet. 

In 1999, Robert Bilott was approached by a West Virginia farmer, Wilbur Tennant, regarding a mystery pollutant running off onto his farm, killing his cattle and making his family sick.

Flash forward 20+ years. After winning his initial lawsuit for the Tennants against DuPont and then representing 70,000 citizens in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Robert Bilott continues to forge a path ahead, protecting citizens in the United States and abroad from continued PFAS pollution and contamination.

INSTAGRAM:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WEBSITE:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YOUTUBE:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gofund.me/77aac225⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-----------------------

Robert Bilott

Taft Law Firm: https://www.taftlaw.com/people/robert-a-bilott/

Exposure | Book by Robert Bilott: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Exposure/Robert-Bilott/9781501172823

The Devil We Know Documentary: https://youtu.be/7cCkADnhRqk?si=0cI4FWK0jMMBRp7b

Dark Waters Film: https://youtu.be/RvAOuhyunhY?si=5v4QJO_y__lztRDZ

-----------------------

Resources

Recent EPA Ruling: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-finalizes-first-ever-national-drinking-water-standard

Hazardous Substances under Superfund: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-designating-certain-pfas-chemicals-hazardous-substances-under-superfund

RCRA: https://www.epa.gov/hw/proposal-list-nine-and-polyfluoroalkyl-compounds-resource-conservation-and-recovery-act

CA AB 1817: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1817

Environmental Working Group: https://www.ewg.org/areas-focus/toxic-chemicals/pfas-chemicals

Green Science Policy Institute: https://greensciencepolicy.org/our-work/pfas/

-----------------------

If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toxicfreefuture.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Foodandwaterwatch.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pfascentral.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-----------------------

Sources

Birsch, S., & Konsmo, M. (Directors). (2018). The Devil We Know [Documentary film]. Atlas Films.

25 min