Green Groups Sue EPA Over Secretive Semiconductor Chemical Approvals

The legal action, brought by CHIPS Communities United and the Sierra Club through Earthjustice, targets the EPA’s decision-making process under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, the suit claims the agency authorized the substances despite admitting it lacked sufficient data to fully evaluate their danger to factory workers and surrounding communities.

Because the EPA designated the chemicals as confidential business information, they are identified in the complaint only by their premanufacture notice numbers: P-26-0029 and P-26-0045. Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, a senior attorney at Earthjustice, stated that the agency is rushing unstudied chemicals to market, effectively leaving the public to identify health consequences through personal medical crises.

This dispute highlights the environmental footprint of the expanding artificial intelligence industry, which relies heavily on semiconductors and data centers. Judith Barish, director of CHIPS Communities United, noted that residents and laborers have spent decades dealing with contaminated air and water linked to chip production. The lawsuit arrives shortly after the EPA approved a separate pesticide classified as a "forever chemical," further straining the relationship between environmental groups and the current administration. Advocates argue that by prioritizing industrial speed, the EPA is failing its mandate to protect public health from persistent, bioaccumulative toxins.