Target: Michael A. Regan, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Goal: Stop poisoning our food and environment by manufacturing hazardous Teflon for use in cooking utensils and equipment.
Teflon is a chemical compound commonly used in non-stick pots & pans and deemed safe for use in the United States. Why then, if it’s so safe, has Europe banned it for use in cookware since 2008? Do they know something we don’t, or are our government agencies bowing to the power and money that chemical companies such as DuPont wield?
Teflon was patented in 1945 and contained perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) up until it was gradually phased out of production beginning in 2015. This was due to the fact that it was proven, according to the EPA, to “lead to adverse health outcomes” and “Studies indicate that PFOA…can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals.” Since PFOA was pinpointed as the primary problematic ingredient in Teflon, it was phased out and replaced by GenX in 2015. However, studies have shown that this new chemical has the potential to cause similar ailments to its predecessor. In fact, DuPont has filed at least 16 reports since the new compound was introduced claiming that Gen-X poses a “substantial risk of injury to health or the environment.”
The chemicals used in Teflon are found in 99.7% of Americans, and they bioaccumulate, which means that the human body absorbs them faster than they are eliminated. The main reason for such widespread exposure is the ‘cheap and easy’ waste disposal practices of Teflon-producing companies which allow toxins to seep into our drinking water. There have been countless lawsuits, many of which have been won, against DuPont due to environmental contamination and the severe negative health impacts of Teflon production. Still, despite all of the proof of the damage they are doing, this company continues to fight clean-up orders and cheat their way out of spending what would undoubtedly be millions on the effort to clean up their own mess.
Please sign this petition so we can take another step forward in ensuring a cleaner planet and a healthier population.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Administrator Regan,
Teflon is a dangerous compound and we need to follow Europe’s lead and ban it from our cookware. Although Gen-X replaced the previously used PFOA in Teflon due to the fact that the chemical was deemed toxic to humans, it has been recognized that Gen-X seems to exhibit several similar health risk factors to PFOA. In fact, DuPont itself has filed at least 16 reports claiming that Gen-X poses a “substantial risk of injury to health or the environment.” Another commonality is the fact that neither is biodegradable. These facts raise two questions: 1) Will we be seeing cases of severe illness and thus lawsuits against Gen-X just as we saw for C8? 2) Is Gen-X going to be the next “forever chemical”?
The production of Teflon needs to be stopped in its tracks before we repeat the past, and I propose that we start with cookware, like many other environmentally considerate and human health respecting countries have. Please show us that the United States government is in favor of putting the well-being of people before profit, and the welfare of our planet above the prosperity of greedy chemical companies. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: MdeVicente
It’s been proven that these chemicals can damage our health and environment. I’m glad that people are protesting, now that they know the dangers. I don’t trust the FDA to protect us. Nobody seems to listen until thousands of people sound off together. Keep writing to your government officials and signing petitions such as this one.