Letters: Contamination from PFAS is an urgent public health emergency
PFAS chemicals are pervasive and are found in our drinking water, food, and in our wildlife. Many of these chemicals have been put into our communities through industrial pollution and by way of firefighting foam. PFAS chemicals are also found in clothing, cosmetics, and even in food containers.
Dear Editor,
Contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly referred to as PFAS, is an urgent public health emergency. PFAS, a group of toxic fluorinated chemicals, has contaminated many communities in New Hampshire. PFAS chemicals affect our health and the health of our children by causing diseases like cancer, endocrine disruption, learning disabilities, low birth weight, and high cholesterol.
PFAS chemicals are pervasive and are found in our drinking water, food, and in our wildlife. Many of these chemicals have been put into our communities through industrial pollution and by way of firefighting foam. PFAS chemicals are also found in clothing, cosmetics, and even in food containers.
Non-essential use of products containing PFAS must stop as soon as possible and the best way to stop PFAS contamination is to stop it at its source.
To address the PFAS crisis, I urge Reps. Pappas and Kuster, along with Sens. Hassan and Shaheen to work aggressively with advocacy groups like the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Biden administration to stringently regulate the amount of PFAS discharged into the environment, end non-essential uses of PFAS, limit new PFAS compounds, and clean-up polluted communities.
We must all protect the residents of New Hampshire and the United States by finding and mandating rapid, safe, and effective ways to remediate PFAS chemicals in our communities. This will take a coordinated effort from our entire delegation and it will take awareness and vigilance from all of us to make it happen.
Hon. Wendy E. N. Thomas
Fmr. NH State Representative
