New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed into law today an important bill that will stop the spread of toxic chemical pollution by banning PFAS—or “forever chemicals”—in many consumer products sold in New Hampshire.
In Manchester, New Hampshire, treated wastewater gets released into the Merrimack River and sludge is burned in an on-site incinerator. That means these dangerous chemicals are released into our water and air every day.
“EPA has finally set drinking water standards for two of the dozens of toxic PFAS compounds being found in drinking water across the country and adopted a risk-based algorithm for others,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “Applause should be muted. The federal government dithered on this issue decades, as a generation of children drank unsafe water, and EPA did so even as many states acted more urgently to adopt more protective standards.”
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CLF’s forceful advocacy paid off in this year’s Rhode Island legislative session with laws passed to help our climate, stop plastic pollution, and safeguard our drinking water from toxic chemicals.
“PFAS chemicals are a toxic scourge on our environment and our health,” said CLF attorney James Crowley. “These forever chemicals have no place in our water, and this bill will help ensure that Rhode Islanders can feel confident that our drinking water is safe. We look forward to Governor McKee signing this bill into law, and we urge the Department of Health to work quickly to adopt a permanent drinking water standard.”
CLF pushes for more robust standards for clean water regionwide.
We are helping to make our built environment healthier for all.
New federal and state laws and policies require government agencies to invest in environmental justice populations. The details behind these requirements must recognize the primary predictor to experience environmental burdens: race. CLF is working to ensure that government investments reach the populations who have endured the brunt of pollution and other consequences of climate change.
“The EPA’s new plan is a key, first step in the battle to protect communities from these dangerous chemicals,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “But PFAS-type compounds of varying names are still being created, used, and released into the environment. The government must go further to stop this assembly line of ‘forever chemicals’ and hold the manufacturers accountable for the widespread contamination of the nation’s air, land, and water.”
