AUGUST PROGRAM: Protecting our drinking water from PFAS pollution

This month we are taking a break from a live Zoom presentation and will have a change in format.

Instead of a Zoom event with speaker at our usual designated time, we are posting a link to access a video recording of a recent Sierra Club webinar on PFAS pollution. This video recording can be accessed at any time. View at your own convenience. See link below.

PROGRAM TOPIC: Protecting our drinking water from PFAS pollution

Link to the webinar video recording:
Protecting our drinking water from PFAS pollution - Zoom

Webinar Description:
EPA has recently announced its first ever legal limits for PFAS in drinking water. But much more remains to be done. Millions of Americans are exposed to dangerous amounts of PFAS chemicals in their water, food or by consumer products. Hear from Linda Birnbaum, one of the nation's leading toxicology researchers about the story of PFAS contamination, and what needs to be done to protect people and the planet from these dangerous chemicals. PFAS are uniquely harmful and persistent contaminants that cause cancer, organ damage, immune system suppression and harm children’s development. When finalized, the new rules will improve water quality for millions of Americans.

Webinar Speakers include:
Linda Birnbaum, retired EPA and NIH leader
Sonya Lunder, Sierra Club Senior Toxics Policy Advisor
Representatives from Sierra Club Hawaii, Sierra Club Michigan, Grassroots PFAS team, and Water Sentinels

From the Sierra Club issue page on PFAS:

PFAS chemicals are a toxic threat to the drinking water and the health of countless communities around the United States. PFAS are widely used in consumer products and at military and industrial sites. More than 100 million people have PFAS contaminated drinking water. This contamination is largely driven by the military’s use of PFAS-filled firefighting foam, as well as manufacturing companies releasing chemical waste into the air and waterways of surrounding communities. These “forever chemicals” never break down in the environment. PFAS are now largely detected in our food. Our bodies concentrate PFAS, so levels are detected much higher in people than they are in food and water. 

Related articles and resources on PFAS pollution:

Interactive Map: PFAS Contamination Crisis: New Data Show 2,858 Sites in 50 States (ewg.org)

Breaking Down Toxic PFAS - Earthjustice

PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Everywhere: Here’s What That Means for Wildlife • The Revelator

PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances) | Sierra Club

For questions or comments about this notice, contact Frank Blake at frankblake@juno.com