Environmental advocates call on EPA, Dept. of Defense to fight PFAS pollution in US

WASHINGTON — Toxic forever chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, can have harmful effects on our health and the environment.

On Thursday, environmental advocates called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice to take more steps to fight PFAS pollution affecting communities in the United States.

Part of the push includes a request for more federal funding for cleanup and protection efforts, as debates continue over what authority the federal government has for addressing PFAS this year in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court Decision which weakened the power of federal agencies.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Channel 2 Washington Correspondent Samantha Manning spoke to advocates who say more needs to be done to protect Americans from the chemicals popping up across the country.

PFAS can be found in a lot of things we use every day, from clothes to food packaging and even makeup.

Experts say the toxins can lead to higher risks of cancer and heart disease, adding to their push for more efforts from the government to protect against the substances.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Suspect shot by police after shootout at Brookhaven home being burglarized; 2 others arrested
• Cobb County removes 13 more books from schools for ‘sexually explicit content’
• Riverdale apartment in absolute darkness, residents say complex hasn’t paid electric bill

Scott Faber with the nonprofit Environmental Working Group said his team wants the government to put strict limits on the companies that dump PFAS into the air and water.

“There are lots of steps that the next administration could take to eliminate the unnecessary needless completely avoidable uses of PFAS into the things we bring into our homes, the things we spray on our food, the things we inject into the ground,” Faber said.

The Environmental Working Group said they want the Department of Defense to prioritize cleaning up military bases and communities near them that are contaminated with PFAS.

“It’s especially true in our defense communities where now more than 600 communities are being polluted by their neighbor the defense department. Unfortunately, not one of those bases has been cleaned up,” Faber told Channel 2 Action News.

DOD said they’ve identified and investigated the PFAS sites and cleanup will start this year, but there are still legal questions about what authority agencies like the EPA have to act, following a recent decision in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, environmental advocates are urging the government to invest more funding to address the dangers of PFAS.

“There’s a lot more work to be done,” Faber said.

While the federal government hasn’t fully acted, some states are taking their own steps to crack down on PFAS pollution and more than 30 retail companies have committed to stopping or reducing the use of PFAS in food packaging and other products.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Students heading back to school may have cell phones banned as more states pass laws limiting use

©2024 Cox Media Group