Latest news with #Veolia
Wall Street Journal
2 days ago
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
The U.S. Has a ‘Forever Chemicals' Problem. A French Company Is Cleaning It Up.
Drinking water in Delaware is now being cleaned by one of the largest 'forever chemicals' treatment centers in the country. Veolia, a French waste-management giant and the largest private water operator in the U.S., launched the facility on Wednesday. Boasting almost the same size as a hockey rink, it is the company's largest plant yet to clean PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances—more commonly known as forever chemicals. PFAS linger in the environment for years, permeating the environment, including drinking water. Veolia already has 34 facilities on a much smaller scale dotted around the country. But the Stanton plant is now processing 30 million gallons of water a day and serving 100,000 residents. The company wants to expand to about 100 such sites in the next few years. Veolia said its revenue for PFAS cleanup grew to €205 million in 2024, just two years after launching the efforts. The tides are turning on some PFAS requirements, however. The Environmental Protection Agency in 2023 set in motion the first federal limits on PFAS in drinking water, which would have mandated municipalities to filter out the chemicals. But in May, under the Trump administration, the agency said it is looking to delay or roll back the Biden administration standards. While environmental and health advocates balked at the shift, some industry groups have said postponements—from a 2029 to a 2031 deadline—would help with preparations. The loosening of Biden-era limits on forever chemicals is surprising given that EPA administrator Lee Zeldin previously broke with many Republicans to support a bill that would have reduced the use of PFAS contamination. The EPA aims to unwind limits on four kinds of PFAS, meaning that only those known as PFOA and PFOS would be regulated going forward. Aside from drinking water, PFAS can also be found in a range of consumer products from food packaging to textiles and cosmetics. Research has linked PFAS exposure to a range of health problems, from cancer to low birth weight in newborns. The chemicals get into the water and soil when they are used for manufacturing, or even from firefighting foam at airports, for example. 'PFAS contamination poses a serious threat to public health, and addressing it at the source is essential,' Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said. The cleaning technology Veolia uses in its water plants depends on the type of PFAS, but the company uses granular activated carbon in large tanks, for example, which is a common treatment method to filter out the chemicals. The Delaware facility has 42 large tanks filled with activated carbon. The PFAS molecules stick to the carbon by grabbing onto tiny crevices that give them a large surface area to attach to. The amount of water flooding into the tanks is monitored to give the molecules enough time to bond. The carbon has to be replaced once it has reached its absorption capacity and then collected by a vendor who can perform a chemical removal process so the carbon could be reused in the tanks. Activated carbon 'is one of the most widely used and effective methods for treating PFAS' said Vasilis Vasiliou, chair of the environmental health sciences department at Yale. But it is 'not a universal solution and has important limitations depending on the PFAS type and treatment goals,' he said. The pros are that it is extensively studied and regulated for drinking water treatment plants, but the cons are that the chemicals are captured rather than broken down, so there is a future contamination risk during disposal. The company worked to make the technology affordable so that communities across the U.S. would be able to invest in it, said Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia's CEO. 'We're not here to be the luxury goods of water treatment,' Brachlianoff said. Public anxiety about PFAS continues to brew as the scale of the problem has come to light. About 45% of tap water contains one or more PFAS, according to a 2023 study by the U.S. Geological Survey, the science arm of the Interior Department. Companies also face a patchwork of state rules to phase out forever chemicals. Recently, Florida and Virginia enacted PFAS cleanup targets for drinking water. And a further wave of states have proposed a variety of drinking water standards for forever chemicals. To complicate matters, the standards of acceptable chemical levels are far from uniform. In Delaware—a state represented by Joe Biden for decades—there is a bill pending that would put water utilities on notice if PFAS exceed certain limits. The water utilities would then have to notify their customers. 'Clean water should be the baseline,' said David Andrews, acting chief science officer at the Environmental Working Group, a consumer research nonprofit, on its website. 'Making water safer begins with ending the unnecessary use of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleanup.' The EPA has alluded to holding polluters accountable, but hasn't provided further details at this time. Write to Clara Hudson at
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Veolia Opens One of the Largest PFAS Treatment Plants in the U.S., Delivering High-Quality Drinking Water to Over 100,000 Delaware Residents
> Veolia's largest PFAS treatment plant sets global standard for protecting drinking water by removing regulated PFAS from up to 30 million gallons of water per day > Veolia is on pace to develop more than 100 treatment sites in America as part of its BeyondPFAS offering of end-to-end solutions for PFAS testing, treatment and responsible disposal WILMINGTON, Del., June 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At a time when water is more vital than ever for public health and environmental protection, Veolia has built one of the largest PFAS treatment systems in the United States and the largest of its kind in the Northeast. The Stanton Water Treatment Plant will remove regulated PFAS compounds from drinking water and ensure high-quality drinking water for over 100,000 residents, fully meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) PFAS regulations. It establishes a replicable model for cost-effective PFAS treatment projects in water systems globally. The $35 million facility is in addition to 33 existing PFAS treatment systems Veolia already operates for water customers in the United States. Veolia will continue to install treatment systems to achieve PFAS treatment at more than 100 water production sites in the country in the coming years, which will help secure high-quality drinking water for almost 2 million people and comply with regulations in the most cost-effective way possible. Veolia's experience meeting the challenge in America has built a strong foundation to do it across the globe. The successful delivery of PFAS treatment for drinking water in Delaware exemplifies how Veolia's BeyondPFAS offering of end-to-end solutions can manage PFAS from testing through treatment and responsible disposal. About the plant Veolia began designing the Stanton PFAS system in early 2022, ahead of the new EPA regulations for some PFAS levels in drinking water, and worked methodically to deliver a state-of-the-art plant that minimized construction costs and left maximum flexibility for the future. It took three years to design and build the 17,600-square-foot facility which features 42 large vessels, each 22 feet high and filled with 40,000 pounds of granular activated carbon. The vessels are designed and optimized for the carbon material to adsorb regulated PFAS compounds from up to 30 million gallons of water per day that enters the plant from two nearby rivers. The massive vessels were installed first and the building was constructed around them, requiring precise coordination and timing during the construction process. The plant includes a laboratory to continually test new filtration media and treatment methods, providing additional flexibility and cost savings in the future. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, Veolia leaders were joined by Delaware elected officials and community leaders to celebrate the achievement, which went from the drawing board to a working treatment plant in three years. Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, said: "In line with our GreenUp strategic program, this major infrastructure milestone highlights Veolia's strong commitment to delivering environmental security solutions to communities worldwide. Tackling micropollutants lies at the heart of our mission, and Veolia is proud to lead the way in testing, treating and responsibly disposing of regulated PFAS contaminants. For the 100,000 people who rely on high-quality water from Veolia in Delaware, the Stanton PFAS treatment system is a generational improvement in public health and environmental protection that will strengthen communities and create opportunities long into the future." "PFAS contamination poses a serious threat to public health, and addressing it at the source is essential," said Delaware Governor Matt Meyer. "The Stanton Water Treatment Plant will play a vital role in tackling this challenge by treating PFAS on the front end of the water system. Veolia's leadership in developing one of the largest treatment facilities in the country reflects a strong commitment to proactive public health protection and underscores our administration's dedication to ensuring clean, safe water for Delawareans." Karine Rougé, CEO of Municipal Water for Veolia in North America, said: "I'm inspired by how swiftly and effectively Veolia responded to the PFAS challenge in Delaware through this state-of-the-art facility, which now sets a global standard. The lessons from this project will help Veolia deploy similar water quality improvements faster, more efficiently and more effectively. We're proud of our team for designing and building this vital project so quickly and so well, and we're thrilled that so many of our customers are able to benefit from their tireless work." ABOUT VEOLIA IN NORTH AMERICA Veolia in North America is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country's largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America. ABOUT VEOLIA Veolia group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. Present on five continents with 215,000 employees, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for the management of water, waste and energy that are contributing to a radical turnaround of the current situation. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, to preserve available resources and to renew them. In 2024, the Veolia group provided 111 million inhabitants with drinking water and 98 million with sanitation, produced 42 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 65 million tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 44.7 billion euros in 2024. The information contained herein is based on the Veolia group's understanding and know-how of the scientific, regulatory and technical fields discussed herein as of the time of publication. No contractual undertaking or offer is made on the basis hereof and no representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability for the purpose of the relevant information. View source version on Contacts MEDIA RELATIONS Laurent Obadia – Evgeniya Mazalova Anna Beaubatie - Aurélien Sarrosquy - Charline Bouchereau Tel.+ 33 (0)1 85 57 86 INVESTOR RELATIONSSelma Bekhechi – Ariane de Lamaze Tel. + 33 (0)1 85 57 84 76 / 84 80investor-relations@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Veolia Opens One of the Largest PFAS Treatment Plants in the U.S., Delivering High-Quality Drinking Water to Over 100,000 Delaware Residents
WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At a time when water is more vital than ever for public health and environmental protection, Veolia has built one of the largest PFAS treatment systems in the United States and the largest of its kind in the Northeast. The Stanton Water Treatment Plant will remove regulated PFAS compounds from drinking water and ensure high-quality drinking water for over 100,000 residents, fully meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) PFAS regulations. It establishes a replicable model for cost-effective PFAS treatment projects in water systems globally. Veolia has built one of the largest PFAS treatment systems in the United States and the largest of its kind in the Northeast, ensuring high-quality drinking water for over 100,000 residents Share The $35 million facility is in addition to 33 existing PFAS treatment systems Veolia already operates for water customers in the United States. Veolia will continue to install treatment systems to achieve PFAS treatment at more than 100 water production sites in the country in the coming years, which will help secure high-quality drinking water for almost 2 million people and comply with regulations in the most cost-effective way possible. Veolia's experience meeting the challenge in America has built a strong foundation to do it across the globe. The successful delivery of PFAS treatment for drinking water in Delaware exemplifies how Veolia's BeyondPFAS offering of end-to-end solutions can manage PFAS from testing through treatment and responsible disposal. About the plant Veolia began designing the Stanton PFAS system in early 2022, ahead of the new EPA regulations for some PFAS levels in drinking water, and worked methodically to deliver a state-of-the-art plant that minimized construction costs and left maximum flexibility for the future. It took three years to design and build the 17,600-square-foot facility which features 42 large vessels, each 22 feet high and filled with 40,000 pounds of granular activated carbon. The vessels are designed and optimized for the carbon material to adsorb regulated PFAS compounds from up to 30 million gallons of water per day that enters the plant from two nearby rivers. The massive vessels were installed first and the building was constructed around them, requiring precise coordination and timing during the construction process. The plant includes a laboratory to continually test new filtration media and treatment methods, providing additional flexibility and cost savings in the future. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, Veolia leaders were joined by Delaware elected officials and community leaders to celebrate the achievement, which went from the drawing board to a working treatment plant in three years. Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, said: ' In line with our GreenUp strategic program, this major infrastructure milestone highlights Veolia's strong commitment to delivering environmental security solutions to communities worldwide. Tackling micropollutants lies at the heart of our mission, and Veolia is proud to lead the way in testing, treating and responsibly disposing of regulated PFAS contaminants. For the 100,000 people who rely on high-quality water from Veolia in Delaware, the Stanton PFAS treatment system is a generational improvement in public health and environmental protection that will strengthen communities and create opportunities long into the future. ' ' PFAS contamination poses a serious threat to public health, and addressing it at the source is essential,' said Delaware Governor Matt Meyer. ' The Stanton Water Treatment Plant will play a vital role in tackling this challenge by treating PFAS on the front end of the water system. Veolia's leadership in developing one of the largest treatment facilities in the country reflects a strong commitment to proactive public health protection and underscores our administration's dedication to ensuring clean, safe water for Delawareans.' Karine Rougé, CEO of Municipal Water for Veolia in North America, said: ' I'm inspired by how swiftly and effectively Veolia responded to the PFAS challenge in Delaware through this state-of-the-art facility, which now sets a global standard. The lessons from this project will help Veolia deploy similar water quality improvements faster, more efficiently and more effectively. We're proud of our team for designing and building this vital project so quickly and so well, and we're thrilled that so many of our customers are able to benefit from their tireless work.' ABOUT VEOLIA IN NORTH AMERICA Veolia in North America is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country's largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America. ABOUT VEOLIA Veolia group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. Present on five continents with 215,000 employees, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for the management of water, waste and energy that are contributing to a radical turnaround of the current situation. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, to preserve available resources and to renew them. In 2024, the Veolia group provided 111 million inhabitants with drinking water and 98 million with sanitation, produced 42 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 65 million tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 44.7 billion euros in 2024. The information contained herein is based on the Veolia group's understanding and know-how of the scientific, regulatory and technical fields discussed herein as of the time of publication. No contractual undertaking or offer is made on the basis hereof and no representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability for the purpose of the relevant information.
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Bin workers and recycling staff in South East abused and attacked
Staff at recycling centres and refuse collectors across the South East have been victims of physical and verbal attacks by the public, a BBC investigation has worker has described how a car was used "as a weapon" against colleagues and staff at some sites have been offered body-worn cameras for their have also been cases of workers being pushed and shoved and hundreds of cases of verbal abuse recorded by councils across the said they were taking measures to protect their staff and urged the public to show respect and patience. Simon Larbey, people development director at Veolia, which operates 10 waste recycling centres in East Sussex and two in Brighton and Hove, told the BBC a serious incident happened within a couple of weeks of him starting work in the county."We had two members of our team run over by a member of the public where the car was used as a weapon, sadly," he said."When the incident was reviewed, unfortunately the CCTV footage we had wasn't enough to get a conviction." Veolia says it has managed to reduce the number of abuse incidents after teaming up with Sussex Police last company introduced training on how to deal with abuse and staff can wear body-worn cameras for protection."We've seen incidents drop from one a week to one a month; sadly those incidents are still occurring," said Mr Larbey."We see a massive amount of queuing on sites, so unfortunately some of the frustrations the residents feel while queuing - we do see some of those frustrations escalate." Steven Rowe, Newhaven site manager, said: "Ninety per cent of the public are great, it's only a small percentage who swear at you, you might get the odd one or two with racial slurs."Just remember we're just normal people doing a job, it could be one of your family members, someone you care about and you should think about what you're doing." Jordan Leaney, the company's household recycling sites manager, said he had been confronted by two people after challenging them about prohibited waste."They followed me up to the office and walked in behind me and locked the door and I had to call my team to get me out," he said. Freedom of Information requests to local councils revealed there had been over 250 abuse incidents recorded by staff at waste recycling centres in East Sussex and Brighton since March 2020, but no physical recorded eight physical attacks at their sites, with 231 cases of verbal abuse between 2020 and County Council said six physical assaults had been recorded over the five years, and added that staff experienced verbal abuse on a daily basis across the majority of Sussex County Council could only provide figures for the last two years, but staff reported 27 cases of verbal abuse and three incidents where workers had been pushed or shoved by members of the public. Amanda Hart, a neighbourhood policing inspector at Sussex Police, said the body-worn technology was helping with evidence gathering."The body cam footage is a really good evidential product, for a jury to see the position that person was put in," she said. In recent years some authorities, such as Kent County Council, have introduced a booking system to use at the waste Wimble, cabinet member for the environment at Kent County Council, said: "Having spoken to the workers there, the system works really well."There's nothing worse than people turning up at these sites and having to queue which makes them frustrated." Refuse collectors also targeted BBC South East also contacted borough and district councils to find out the levels of abuse directed towards refuse collectors over the last five all were able to provide a breakdown of incidents. A handful of councils said they had recorded some physical assaults on Kent, 135 cases of verbal abuse were recorded, in Sussex 196 incidents were logged. Meanwhile, there are also ongoing concerns about the safety of refuse staff on the Anderson, director of communities at Horsham District Council, said: "Last year two of our crew were out when a car hit both of them. One of the guys has faced life-changing injuries. "One had emptied a bin, the other person was loading a bin into the lorry at the time and the driver just drove into them." He added: "Often it's about people who haven't got the patience to wait for a refuse lorry to complete its work in their road, and they'll mount a pavement to pass the refuse lorry."We have a number of CCTV cameras inside the cab and outside the vehicle and that allows us to monitor what's happened and we can report that immediately to the police."
Malaysia Sun
4 days ago
- Malaysia Sun
Young Frenchman on trial for drug trafficking in Malaysia
Tom Flix has gone on trial in northern Malaysia, charged with drug possession and trafficking which could carry the death penalty if he is found guilty. Flix, 34, a former executive of French waste management firm Veolia,was arrested in early August 2023 on the island resort of Langkawi, where he was hoping to open a restaurant. Police found several hundred grams of cannabis in a common area of the house he shared with his Malaysian business partner, who was also arrested. Flix's lawyer Collin Andrew said the hearing began Monday at the Alor Setar High Court in northwestern Malaysia and was then ajourned until Tuesday after the first witness had not brought all the necessary documents to court. The trial was scheduled to end on Thursday, but it was not known whether sentencing would take place immediately afterwards. Flix faces the death penalty, or "104 years of cumulative imprisonment, 54 strokes with a cane and a 27,000 euro fine," his mother Sylvie Flix told France's AFP news agency. Drugpossession and trafficking are serious crimes inMalaysiathat can still carry the death sentence if the amounts are above a certain threshold. Death sentences, however, are no longer mandatory and no executions have taken place since 2018. Frenchman on death row in Indonesia leaves jail ahead of transfer home 'Terrible' conditions in prison Felix's parents spoke to French PresidentEmmanuel Macronabout his case during a recent state visit to neighbouringSingapore, where they live. "He heard us and said that this situation is indeed unacceptable and that he would do everything possible to ensure Tom's release," Flix's mother said. His family insists that, during the investigation, Tom was exonerated by his partner, but that the Malaysian police did not take this into account. Since his arrest 22 months ago, Flix has been held in Perlis prison in "terrible" conditions, according to his lawyer and family. In footage taken from adocumentarybroadcast on M6's 66 Minutes in December 2024, the detainee appears emaciated and refers to his total despair. "It's not always easy to keep him fighting," his mother told Le Parisien daily in December 2024. Global executions at highest level in almost a decade, says Amnesty "He also has suicidal thoughts; he told me he felt like swallowing a box of sleeping pills and never waking up again." Serge Atlaoui, aFrenchmanwho was held on death row in Indonesia for drug offences was released in February and returned to France. Jakarta left it to the French government to grant Atlaoui the only Frenchman on death row in Indonesia "clemency, amnesty or a reduced sentence". (with newswires) Originally published on RFI
