Chuck Darwin<p>Industry acts to head off regulation on PFAS pollution from semiconductors </p><p>Producers of <a href="https://c.im/tags/PFAS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PFAS</span></a> chemicals and semiconductors, a key part of most electronics, have formed a group that develops <br>"industry-friendly science"<br> aimed at heading off regulation as the facilities release high levels of toxic waste, documents seen by the Guardian show.</p><p>The group, called the <a href="https://c.im/tags/PFAS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PFAS</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Consortium" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Consortium</span></a>, was formed during a boom in domestic semiconductor production <br>spurred by the Chips and Science Act that has led to $825bn in investment aimed at shoring up the industry.</p><p>Left unchecked, however, the boom could also 🔥generate huge levels of toxic waste,🔥 experts fear. </p><p>The <a href="https://c.im/tags/semiconductor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>semiconductor</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/industry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>industry</span></a> is a prolific polluter and a major source of <a href="https://c.im/tags/unregulated" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>unregulated</span></a> and <a href="https://c.im/tags/unmonitored" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>unmonitored</span></a> toxic PFAS, or “forever chemicals”, some of which also turn into potent greenhouse gas.</p><p>“Hardly anyone has been paying attention to the toxic waste from the industry as it grows at an enormous rate,” said Lenny Siegel, a member of <br>❇️"Chips Communities United", a group working with industry and administration officials to try to put in place environmental safeguards.</p><p>“Next time you do a Google search or chat, you’re using chips … that were produced in a way that released PFAS in an environment irreversibly.”<br><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/24/pfas-toxic-waste-pollution-regulation-lobbying?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/environment/ar</span><span class="invisible">ticle/2024/aug/24/pfas-toxic-waste-pollution-regulation-lobbying?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other</span></a></p>