By now, you're probably aware that America has a 'forever chemical' problem. If you haven't heard of these dangerous substances, they're basically indestructible chemicals that never go away, and are found in our most basic products -- nonstick pans, food containers, stain-resistant fabrics, etc.
But in recent years, toxicologists and agencies have come to realize that the convenience of these products comes at a price:
horrific health problems for people who consume the 'forever chemicals,' formally known as PFAs, in them.The most recent report?
Nearly 50 million people in the United States have unsafe levels PFAs present in their drinking water, leaving them at risk for fertility issues, liver disease, kidney cancer, and a whole host of other terrifying issues.Water is a human right. We demand our government agencies better protect this precious resource.
Sign the petition to tell the Biden administration to pay for water testing, cleanup, and filtration systems for vulnerable Americans!Earlier in 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency made the right move and
set limits on the presence of toxic 'forever chemicals' in our drinking water. Before that, there was no legal precedent for keeping these pollutants out of school water fountains, families' faucets, or restaurant glasses.
But now comes the hard part -- finding the money to meet these standards.
How are lower-income communities supposed to find the finances to implement often costly, complicated filtration systems? We know that often, already marginalized communities and neighborhoods where Black, Brown, and Indigenous people live are hit the hardest by pollution and the costs to fix it.
Luckily, there is a precedent -- in 2023, the state of Michigan determined its own "drinking water limit and paid for testing." This allowed less problems to be quickly identified and fixed at a reasonable cost.
This should be happening at the federal level. Communities should not solely bear the burden of making sure their drinking water is not poison --
our elected officials need to help with the solution. Sign the petition if you want to see part of the U.S. budget include the cost of testing and removing PFAs from our water!