Target: Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts
Goal: Support ban on forever chemicals in protective gear used by firefighters.
Several ForceChange petitions such as this one have highlighted the dangers of forever chemicals and their long-term health implications. The toxic substances are found in a wide variety of arenas, from the water we drink, the food we eat, to the products we wear. Some of America’s bravest have faced a particularly grave risk. Now, states have taken decisive steps to eliminate a menace that can prove more dangerous to firefighters than racing into an inferno.
Protective gear used by firefighters is often infused with PFAS (or forever chemicals) because the notorious substances have proven resistant to heat and water. But in a stunning report that covered over a decade’s span of time, PFAS were also implicated in the deaths of two-thirds of firefighters from chronic health ailments like cancer. In response, both Massachusetts and Connecticut legislators have passed laws that will ban the use of PFAS in firefighting gear. Other states and municipalities have been inspired to model these actions.
Sign the petition below to thank leaders in one of the states that set this important preventive template.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Governor Healey,
Advocates and families personally affected by toxic forever chemical exposure celebrated the recent passage of the law concerning PFAS-infused protective firefighter gear. With this law, many of the state’s courageous first responders will be safeguarded from a threat that, by some estimates, poses a much greater risk to them than the dangerous work they undertake every day. Thank you for bypassing the special interests that fought against this important measure.
More vitally, thank you for supporting a life-saving effort that can inspire other industries and other states to do better.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Pixabay
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