Stop Poisoning Fish and Drinking Water With Toxic Chemicals

Target: Michael Regan, Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency

Goal: Make ban on forever chemicals a priority in the Superfund program.

A train derailment in Ohio has raised concerns that hazardous materials from the train may have contaminated local water supplies. The discovery of thousands of dead fish in creeks and other waterways has heightened these worries. The concerns are not without merit, as the health of marine life is often a barometer of an aquatic system’s overall health.

A recent study highlights this assertion. The research revealed that fish caught in major freshwater systems throughout the nation contain high levels of PFOS: one of the most toxic of the so-called forever chemicals typically found in materials such as packaging and cookware. The authors of this Duke University-funded study also warned that consuming just one contaminated fish in a year’s time could permanently change a person’s blood. The chemical itself has been linked with cancer, immune deficiencies, hormonal abnormalities, and high blood pressure, among other potential conditions.

A wave of lawsuits related to forever chemicals has compelled at least one major manufacturer, 3M, to pledge that it will stop making the hazardous materials. Sign the petition below to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make good on its proposal to halt production of even more of these public health dangers.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Administrator Regan,

From contamination caused by flooding to train derailments, America has reason to worry about the integrity of its water supply. A Duke study recently conducted reinforced that one of the biggest threats to the nation’s water supply is forever chemicals. According to the study, the fish that must live in America’s freshwater habitats have more of these hazards in their bodies than the water itself.

The Biden administration proposed making the elimination of forever chemicals a centerpiece of the EPA Superfund program. Please pursue this objective, as it more than fulfills the program’s mission of responding to environmental emergencies and—most importantly—of protecting both public health and the environment.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: TiffNG