Re: [CPEO-MEF] PFAS: "Trump Threatens to Veto First Ever Congressional Action on 'Forever Chemicals'"

The Department of Defense provided an update on the status of a PFAS Task Force examining contamination in the ground water of military installations during a media roundtable last week, noting that hundreds of military installations are affected and authorities are still working on the issue.

PFAS stands for Per- and Polyflouroalkyl Substances, a toxic substance present in foam used in fire suppression. PFAS can cause a range of potential health issues ranging from liver and kidney disease to immunological effects to cancer.

“[W]e looked at 524 different installations across the Department of Defense to understand and to characterize the drinking water systems that we’re responsible for,” Robert H. McMahon, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment, said at the roundtable. “Of those, the numbers that you’ve seen, 24 of those were above the lifetime health advisory put out by the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] of 70 parts per trillion. …

“In addition, at the time, as we’ve gone through an initial blush, we identified 401 different installations where it appeared there was some level of PFOS/PFOA contamination that was generated by the Department of Defense,” he added.

You can read the full transcript of the roundtable at the DoD’s website.

Mindi Messmer, PG, CG

Former New Hampshire House of Representatives, District 24 served on

Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs Committee

Mobile: 603.498.8847 | email: mmessmer@me.com

On Sep 23, 2019, at 9:19 PM, Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org> wrote:

Trump Threatens to Veto First Ever Congressional Action on “Forever Chemicals”

By Michael Green
Truthout
September 22, 2019

A handful of multibillion-dollar chemical companies have waged war on our bodies and our environment for nearly 70 years without our knowledge or consent. Although the federal government — tasked with protecting the public and upholding the law — became aware of this chemical assault 20 years ago, it chose to conceal the truth, downplay the threat, and expand the use of a class of chemicals known to endanger the health of present and future generations.

PFAS are a class of nearly 5,000 synthetic chemicals that make products water- and grease-resistant. They are in non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant carpets, lubricants, firefighting foams, paints, cosmetics and paper plates our kids eat off at schools. Humans are exposed to PFAS through contaminated food, air, dust, rain, soil and drinking water.

Termed “forever chemicals,” PFAS can take thousands of years to break down in the environment and can remain in our bodies for decades. PFAS are now in the blood of 99 percent of Americans and have contaminated the drinking water of as many as 110 million Americans - particularly those living near chemical manufacturing facilities, airports and military bases. Even the smallest exposure to PFAS can cause a variety of cancers, thyroid disease, hormone disruption, decreased fertility and other serious health issues.

…

For the entire article, see
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-threatens-to-veto-first-ever-congressional-action-on-forever-chemicals/

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org

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