This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, March 24th, 2022.

Later in the program, WFHB Correspondent Zyro Roze speaks with Thomas Linzey, senior legal counsel at the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights in Part Three of an ongoing series. More in the bottom half of tonight’s program.

Also coming up in the next half hour, WFHB Correspondent Kai Fitzgerald reports on an outbreak of avian influenza in Dubois County, Indiana.

Bloomington City Council

By Noelle Herhusky-Schneider and Kade Young

At the Bloomington City Council meeting on March 23rd the council heard a resolution to establish the Johnson Creamery building as a historic district. Director of the Bloomington HAND Department John Zody said he has concerns about the stability of the Johnson Creamery site and that it may not be repairable.

The ordinance was originally slated on the council agenda for a first and second reading; however, a majority of the council agreed to delay talks of historic designation to their next meeting.

The council also voted to opt back into the state’s Opioid settlement. In 2021 the council opted out of the settlement because it was not a good deal, however Bloomington Corporation Counsel Beth Cate presented the new settlement and recommended that Bloomington should rejoin the state’s settlement.

She said that the funds would be paid out over a number of years, and that the settlement is a good deal.

The city council will have a Committee of the Whole meeting on March 30th where they will further discuss the Johnson Creamery site.

PFAs or 'Forever Chemicals'

By Bode Hoover

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS or “forever chemicals”, are the subject of recent scrutiny. These synthetic organic compounds have been used in everyday products since the 1940s including common brands like Scotchguard, Teflon, L’Oréal, Mac, Ulta, and CoverGirl. They are used to make non-stick and waterproof products ranging from cookware to personal care products and textiles. Their presence is widespread. In fact, PFAS has been detected in the blood of approximately 97% of Americans and was even detected in breast milk.

The 2019 movie, Dark Waters starring Mark Ruffalo as Robert Billott, drew much attention to this issue. Robert Billott, the attorney responsible for bringing these chemicals to light by pursuing legal action against manufacturer DuPont de Nemours, Inc., recently visited Indiana University thanks to efforts by Professor Marta Venier at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Community Public Water Systems (CWS) will be tested for PFAS. This project started in February 2021 and will continue through May 2023 in three phases. Phase two, when Community Water Systems serving less than 3,300 people is tested, is set to conclude in December 2022. The latest released results are for samples collected in August 2021. PFAS was detected in treated drinking water in two of the CWS tested: Charlestown in Clark County and Morgan County Rural in Morgan County. PFAS was also detected in untreated water at Hartford City Water Works in Blackford County andAurora Utilities in Dearborn County. The detected levels were below the unenforceable EPA Health Advisory Level of 70 ppt but there are currently no maximum contaminant levels (MCL) established by the EPA.

PFAS are environmentally persistent, enabling them to accumulate in wildlife and people. Once they enter your body, it is impossible to remove them, meaning multiple exposures to small quantities will build up over time. Many studies have shown that exposure to PFAS has adverse health effects including liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, obesity, hormone suppression, high cholesterol, and cancer.

The U.S.