Login
Republicans block cleanup until polluters get immunity
18 June 2024 at 09:55
From Tom Perkins in The Guardian: Wisconsin Republicans are withholding $125m designated for cleanup of widespread PFAS contamination in drinking water and have said they will only release the funds in exchange for immunity for polluters. The move is part of a broader effort by Republicans in the state to steal power from the Democratic governor, Tony Evers, the funding's supporters say, alleging such "political games" are putting residents' health at risk.
"People really feel like they're being held hostage," said Lee Donahue, mayor of Campbell, which is part of the La Crosse metropolitan area and has drinking water contaminated with astronomical levels of PFAS. "It's ridiculous, and some would argue that it's criminal, that they are withholding money from communities in dire need of clean drinking water." PFAS are a class of chemicals used across dozens of industries to make products water-, stain- and heat-resistant. They are called "forever chemicals" because they don't naturally break down, and they persist in the environment and accumulate in humans' and animals' bodies. The compounds are linked to cancer, decreased immunity, thyroid problems, birth defects, kidney disease, liver problems and a range of other serious illnesses. In other news about PFAS, outdoor clothing brands are still using 'forever chemicals' despite health risk, according to Guardian reporter James Tapper. PFAS are a global issue. In early 2023, the Forever Pollution Project released the results of a unique collaborative cross-border and cross-field investigation by 16 European newsrooms. The investigation showed that nearly 23,000 sites all over Europe are contaminated by PFAS. It also uncovered an additional 21,500 presumptive contamination sites due to current or past industrial activity. The dataset behind the Map of Forever Pollution is freely available thanks to French newspaper Le Monde. US nonprofit Clean Water Action recommends 10 actions to help reduce your exposure to PFAS (oddly, refusing to vote for Republicans is not one of them). Previously: How 3M Executives Convinced a Scientist the Forever Chemicals She Found in Human Blood Were Safe and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: PFAs.
"People really feel like they're being held hostage," said Lee Donahue, mayor of Campbell, which is part of the La Crosse metropolitan area and has drinking water contaminated with astronomical levels of PFAS. "It's ridiculous, and some would argue that it's criminal, that they are withholding money from communities in dire need of clean drinking water." PFAS are a class of chemicals used across dozens of industries to make products water-, stain- and heat-resistant. They are called "forever chemicals" because they don't naturally break down, and they persist in the environment and accumulate in humans' and animals' bodies. The compounds are linked to cancer, decreased immunity, thyroid problems, birth defects, kidney disease, liver problems and a range of other serious illnesses. In other news about PFAS, outdoor clothing brands are still using 'forever chemicals' despite health risk, according to Guardian reporter James Tapper. PFAS are a global issue. In early 2023, the Forever Pollution Project released the results of a unique collaborative cross-border and cross-field investigation by 16 European newsrooms. The investigation showed that nearly 23,000 sites all over Europe are contaminated by PFAS. It also uncovered an additional 21,500 presumptive contamination sites due to current or past industrial activity. The dataset behind the Map of Forever Pollution is freely available thanks to French newspaper Le Monde. US nonprofit Clean Water Action recommends 10 actions to help reduce your exposure to PFAS (oddly, refusing to vote for Republicans is not one of them). Previously: How 3M Executives Convinced a Scientist the Forever Chemicals She Found in Human Blood Were Safe and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: PFAs.
