He thuziak hi Center for Public Integrity, nonprofit news service, inthlauhna chungchanga zirchianna atana inpe nen thawhhonaa tihchhuah a ni.
Inbual. thuah. thirsakawr. Kevin Hartley, Drew Wynn leh Joshua Atkins te chu an thih lai hian thla 10 chhungin an thawk dun a, mahse an thawk chhunzawm zel a ni. Thil siamte hi a inang lo hle a, mahse an dam rei chhan chu a inang vek a ni: paint stripper-a chemical leh dawr hrang hranga thil zawrh dangte. ram pum huapin.
Lungngaihna leh hlauthawng takin an chhungte chuan methylene chloride-in mi dang a tihlum loh nan theihtawp chhuah an tiam a ni.
Mahse United States-ah chuan chemical plant tlemte chauhvin hnathawk leh consumer humhalhna lax vangin hetiang dinhmun hi an tawk a ni. Chuvangin methylene chloride chu serial killer a lo ni ta a, Hartley, Wayne leh Atkins te pian hma pawh khan a vapor hlauhawmzia vaukhânna pek a nih lai pawhin. Tun hnai kum sawmhnih chhung khan eng agency inrawlhna tel lovin mi tam tak, a aia tam pawh ni lo, mi tam tak an thi tawh a ni.
Center for Public Integrity-in an chhui chian hnuah leh himna lama hma latute'n an ngen hnuah, a tawpah chuan US Environmental Protection Agency chuan paint stripper-a he thil hman khapna zau tak siam a rawt ta a ni.
Kum 2017 January thla a ni a, Obama administration hun hnuhnung ber a ni. Chumi kum April thla khan Hartley chu a thi a, chu kum October thla khan Wynn chu a thi a, a kum leh February thla khan Atkins chu a thi bawk a, chutih lai chuan Trump administration chuan deregulation chungchangah a thahnemngai hle a, regulation tih belh ai chuan tihbo a duh zawk a ni—a bik takin EPA boruak chu. Methylene chloride rawtna chu khawiah mah a kal lo.
Mahse, Atkins-a thih hnu thla 13 hnuah Trump-a Environmental Protection Agency chuan nawrna hnuaiah methylene chloride awmna paint stripper retail-a hralh chu tihtawp a rel ta a ni. April thla khan Biden-a Environmental Protection Agency chuan dan siam a rawt a, he chemical hi consumer product zawng zawng leh hnathawhna hmun tam zawkah khap a ni ang.
“United States-ah hian hetiang hi kan ti tlem hle a ni,” tiin University of California, San Francisco-a occupational leh environmental medicine clinical professor Dr. Robert Harrison chuan a sawi. “Heng chhungkua te hi ka pasalthate an ni.”
Heng result neih theihna tura harsatna an tawhte an hneh dan leh chutiang bawka kawng harsa tak i zawh a nih chuan eng nge an rawt ang tih chu hetiang hi a ni a, chu chu thil hlauhawm tak tak, hnathawhna hmun him lo, bawlhhlawh paih emaw, hliam dang emaw a nih pawhin.
Brian Wynn chuan, “Google everything,” tiin Brian Wynn chuan a sawi a, a unaupa kum 31 mi Drew chuan South Carolina-a a cold brew coffee dawr leh walk-in refrigerator siamṭhat nan methylene chloride a lei a ni. “Tin, mite hnena thlen pawh.”
Chutiang chuan a unaupa thih hma kum hnih chhunga tihchhuah, Public Integrity Inquiry chu a hmuchhuak a, mithiamte a biak a, a thil lei theihna hmun aṭanga thihnate zawn chhuah a harsat chhan thlengin a zir chhuak vek a ni. (Methylene chloride meikhu hi hmun inkhar takah a awm khawm chuan a thihpui thei a, tumahin toxicology test an tih loh chuan natural death ang maia heart attack a thlen thei bawk.)
Kevin-a nu Wendy Hartley-i thurawn: “Academic” tih hi zawn chhuahnaah hian keyword a ni. Chutah chuan research hrang hrangin a nghak reng che a ni mai thei. “Hei hian ngaihdan leh thudik thliar hrang turin a pui dawn a ni,” tiin email-ah a ziak.
BMX bike fork a tihbuai laiin a thi, kum 31 mi Joshua nu Lauren Atkins hian UCSF-a Harrison hi vawi eng emaw zat a bia a, a nupui hian a fapa hi a hmangaih hle a ni. Kum 2018 February thla khan a fapa chu leiah thiin a hmu a, a bulah hian paint stripper litre jar khat a mu a ni.
Harrison-i’n methylene chloride a hriatna chuan a fapa toxicology leh autopsy report-te chu thihna chhan chiang takah a letling thei a ni. Hetianga chiang taka sawi hian thiltih theihna tur lungphum nghet tak a siam a ni.
Vawi tam tak chu chemical hman hian mite hriselnaah hun rei tak chhung nghawng a nei thei a, kum tam tak chhung chu a lang lo thei bawk. Pollution pawh hi chutiang bawk chu a ni thei. Mahse chutiang harsatna sutkian tumin sorkarin hma la se i duh chuan academic research hi bul tanna tha tak a la ni reng a ni.
An hlawhtlinna bulpui ber chu chemical himna chungchanga thawk tawh pawlte nena an chhungkaw inzawmna leh anmahni leh anmahni inzawmna a ni.
Entirnan, Lauren Atkins chuan advocacy group Safe Chemicals for Healthy Families (tunah chuan Toxic Free Future) atanga methylene chloride products chungchanga Change.org petition a hmu a, tun hnaia a fapa boral tawh hriatrengna atan petition hi a sign a ni. Brian Wayne chuan rang zetin a kut chu a rawn phar chhuak a.
Sipai chak tak takte chuan an thatnate chu a taka hrethiam turin an inzawm khawm a ni. EPA atanga hmalakna awm lo se chuan heng chhungkua te hian retailer te chu an shelf atanga thil siam chhuah tir tir a, a bul atanga tan a ngai dawn lo: Safer Chemicals Healthier Families chuan hetiang kohna chhanna atan hian “Mind the Stores” campaign an kalpui a ni.
Agency dan emaw, Capitol Hill-a lobbying chhungril hnathawh dan emaw chu anmahni chauhin an chhui chhuah a ngai lo. Chemical him zawk, Chhungkaw hrisel, leh Environmental Defense Fund te hian he kawngah hian thiamna an nei a ni.
Read more: ‘Lifetime burden’: Zirnaah chuan mipa dum kum upa zawkte chu boruak bawlhhlawh vangin an thi a, puitling mipa hring aiin a let thum zetin an thi
Climate Change chungchanga tawng zawn Heather McTeer-Tony chuan khawthlang lama Environmental Justice a bei
“Hetiang team i din theih hunah ... chakna chak tak i nei tak zet a ni,” tiin Brian Wynn chuan Natural Resources Defense Council chu he thubuai hi active taka zawmtu pawl dang a nih thu a sawi.
He inhnek hi ngaihven zawng zawngte hian vantlang hmun an chang thei dawn lo. Entirnan, permanent legal status nei lo pem lutte chuan hnathawhna hmuna hlauhawmna an tawk nasa zawk a, status an neih loh avangin an thusawi chhuah harsa emaw, theih loh emaw a ni thei bawk.
Heng chhungkawte hian an ngaihtuahna zawng zawng chu EPA-ah an dah vek a nih chuan agency hian hma a la lo mai thei a, a bik takin Trump administration-in regulation a nawr let dan ngaihtuah chuan.
Retailer-te chu “an dawr enkawl” hmangin nunna chhanhim nan methylene chloride awmna paint stripper hralh lo turin nawrna an siam a ni. Petition leh protest te chuan hna a thawk a ni. Home Depot leh Walmart telin company te chuan tihtawp an remti.
Congress member-te chu Safer Chemicals, Healthier Families leh Environment Fund hmanga hma la turin an ngen a ni. Chhungkaw thlalak kengin Washington lam an pan ta a. Thuthar thehdarhtute an kawm a, thuthang an dawng a, hei hian buaina a tizual lehzual a ni.
South Carolina senator leh congressman pakhat chuan chutih laia Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt hnenah lehkha an ziak a ni. Congressman dang pakhat chuan April 2018-a hearing neihnaah Pruitt lakah hian dodalna a siam a ni. Brian Wynn chuan heng zawng zawng hian chhungkua chu May 2018-a Pruitt nena inhmuhkhawmna tur ruahmanna siam turin a pui niin a ngai.
Brian Wayne chuan, “Security guard chu a hnenah tumah an lo kal loh avangin a mangang hle a ni,” a ti. “Oz ram ropui leh thiltithei tak nena inhmuhna ang deuh a ni.”
Kawng lakah chuan chhungkua chuan thubuai an thehlut a. Social media hmangin mipuite chu hlauhawmah dah lo turin an vaukhân a ni. Lauren Atkins hian hardware dawr hrang hrangah an sawi angin an shelf atanga methylene chloride product an lakchhuah tak tak em tih chu amah ngeiin a en a. (A chang chuan a ni, a chang chuan ni lo.)
Heng zawng zawng hi a hahthlak hmel hle a nih chuan i tisual lo. Mahse chhungkua te hian an inrawlh loh chuan eng nge thleng ang tih chu a chiang hle niin an ngai.
Lauren Atkins chuan, “Engmah tih a ni lo vang, a hmaa tih ngai loh ang maiin,” a ti a.
Hnehna tenau te chu a pung zel. Chhungkuain an beidawng loh avangin thil pakhat chuan thil dang a thlen ta a ni. Hun rei tak chhunga thlirna hi a ngai fo thin: Federal rulemaking hi a pianphungah chuan a slow hle.
Agency pakhatin dan siam tura a mamawh zirchianna a tihfel theih nan kum engemaw zat emaw a aia rei emaw a la ngai thei. Proposal hi tihfel a nih hmain harsatna a paltlang a ngai a ni. Mahse, khapna emaw, thil tul thar emaw eng pawh chu hun kal zelah a inthlak danglam thei a ni.
Chhungkaw tinte’n EPA aṭanga khapna ṭhenkhat an hmuh theihna tur chu a titawp tak tak hmain agency chuan he rawtna hi a rawn chhuah hmasa a ni. Mahse Kevin Hartley-a thih hnu kum hnih leh a chanve hnuah Environmental Protection Agency-in khapna a siam chu hman tan a ni. Tin, hnathawhna hmuna hman tur, kum 21 mi Kevin-a hnathawhna hmuna bathtub painting hna ang chi te pawh an cover lo.
Mahse, agency chhungah chuan manager hrang hrangte thutlukna hrang hrang a awm thei. EPA rawtna hnuhnung ber, August 2024-a pawm tura beisei a ni a, hnathawhna hmuna thil tum tam zawkah methylene chloride hman khap a ni a, bathtub polishing pawh a khap dawn a ni.
“I dawhtheih a ngai a, i chhel a ngai a ni,” Lauren Atkins chuan a ti a. “Mi nun chungchang a nih chuan, a bik takin i fate chungchang a nih chuan i hmu chhuak thin. Straightaway”.
Hrilhfiahna siam hi thil harsa tak a ni. Nangmah emaw, i hmangaih tu emaw chu hliam tuar a nih avângin inthlâk danglamna thlen chu a harsa zâwk thei a, mahse thil dangin a tih theih loh thlamuanna a pe thei a ni.
“Buckle up rawh, a chhan chu hei hi emotional disaster a ni dawn a ni,” tiin Lauren Atkins chuan a vaukhân a ni. “Miten min zawt fo thin, emotional leh harsa tak ni mahse, engvangin nge hetiang hian ka tih chhunzawm zel?Ka chhanna chu: “Chuvangin i thut a ngai lo” tih hi a ni fo a, a ni reng bawk ang. ka hmun.Chuvangin ka bulah i awm a ngai tawh lo.
“I chanve i hloh tawh lai hian engtin nge i function? A chang chuan a thinlung chu a thawk tawh lo niin ka hria a, ka thinlung pawh chu ni khatah a thawk tawh lo,” a ti. “Mahse, hetiang thil hi midangin an paltlang ka duh loh vang leh Joshua hloh chu midangte chan ka duh loh avangin chu chu ka tum ber a ni a, a tul apiang ti turin ka inpeih reng a ni.”
Brian Wynne pawhin chutiang ngaihtuahna chu a nei a, marathon tlan zawh theihna tura i rilru hahna tihziaawmna tur thil engemaw zat a rawt bawk. Gym chu a ta a ni. “I rilru put hmang chhuahna tur kawng i zawn a ngai a ni,” a ti bawk.
Wendy Hartley chuan activism hi a takin a tidam tih a hmuchhuak ta a ni – chhungkaw dangte puihna leh an result an neih dun avang hian.
Organ donor a nih angin a fapa hian midang nunah nghawng a nei nghal vek a ni. A legacy chu store shelf-ah leh sorkar hall-ah te a darh zau zel tih hmuh chu a lawmawm hle.
Ani chuan: “Kevin-a chuan nunna tam tak a chhanhim leh a, kum tam tak chhûng chu nunna a chhanhim chhunzawm zêl ang,” tiin a ziak a ni.
Hrilhfiahna i nawr a nih chuan, status quo vawng reng tura sum hmang lobbyist-te hian hnehna an chang reng ang tih ngaihtuah a awlsam hle. Mahse i nun tawn hian lei theih loh rit a keng tel a ni.
“I chanchin sawi dan i thiam a, i nunah a tel ve a nih chuan i ti thei ang — chu thawnthu chu i sawi theih hunah chuan, vanneihna, lobbyist-te u,” tiin Brian Wayne chuan a sawi. “Pasion leh hmangaihna tluk loh nen kan lo kal a ni.”
Wendy Hartley-i thurawn: “I rilru put hmang sawi chhuah hlau suh.” Chûng rilru natnate chuan nangmah leh i chhûngte chunga nghawng a neih dân sawi rawh. “Thlalak hmangin mimal nghawng an neih dan entir rawh.”
“Kum ruk kalta khan mi pakhatin, ‘I au nasa tawk a nih chuan sorkarin a hre ngei ang,’ ti ta se, ka nuih a za hle ang,” tiin Lauren Atkins chuan a sawi. “Guess what? Aw pakhat hian danglamna a thlen thei.Chu chu ka fapa legacy zinga mi niin ka hria.”
Jamie Smith Hopkins hi Center for Public Integrity-a reporter a ni a, hei hi nonprofit newsroom a ni a, inthlauhna hi a zirchiang a ni.