Although the State has taken important first steps to clean up our drinking water, the work will not be done until we stop chasing these chemicals down one by one and remove all PFAS from water supplies.
Even as we mourn the lives lost to COVID-19 and absorb the heavy toll it has taken on our economy, we must recognize that the old “normal” left too many communities unhealthy and especially vulnerable to the pandemic. Replicating that old “normal” will squander an opportunity to reduce climate danger while building healthier and more just communities for all.
“The rules are designed to protect people in New Hampshire from the dangerous impacts of these toxic chemicals, and it’s essential that they are allowed to go into effect,” said Tom Irwin, Vice President and Director of CLF New Hampshire. “We all should be able to turn on our taps without wondering if our water is safe. 3M’s case is nothing more than a giant corporation’s attempt to put their profits over the health and safety of our communities.”
For centuries, Atlantic cod has been essential to New England’s identity. Yet today, you can rarely find locally caught cod in a grocery store or on a menu – because it has been fished to the brink of disaster. Here’s what it’s going to take to save New England’s founding fish.
Toxic “forever chemicals” are everywhere: in our nonstick pans, our food packaging, our water-repellant rain jackets. The Vermont legislature is considering a bill that would protect us from these dangerous chemicals by banning PFAS in food packaging, carpets, and firefighting foam. This bill will help keep toxic “forever chemicals” out of our products and out of our drinking water.
In the absence of strong federal action, the Conservation Law Foundation and other environmental groups have been pushing the Rhode Island Department of Health for more than a year to come up with an enforceable drinking water standard for the compounds.
A bill currently under consideration by the Rhode Island General Assembly would force overdue action to address this public health threat.
Phelps Turner of the Conservation Law Foundation says one area of concern is the recommendation that Maine adopt federal guidelines for allowable levels of PFAS in drinking water.
The Maine PFAS Task Force recently released a draft of its recommendations for how to protect residents from these dangerous chemicals, but they fall well short of the bold action that is needed. But there are still opportunities for legislators and regulators to make a difference.
With the Vermont General Assembly reconvening, CLF is working with lawmakers to advance solutions that protect our natural resources, build healthy communities, and sustain a vibrant economy on behalf of all Vermonters. This session, we’re focusing on cutting carbon, limiting plastic pollution, protecting the state from toxic “forever chemicals,” defending water quality, and more.
