Health groups, affected families urge lawmakers to toughen Maine standards on ‘forever chemicals’
Lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday on the first of multiple bills this session taking aim at the class of chemicals known as PFAS, which are the focus of growing health concerns nationwide.
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Sludge is dumped into a truck at the wastewater treatment plant in Portland in April 2019. PFAS chemicals have turned up on Maine dairy farms that used sludge as fertilizer.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
The Mills administration wants to require schools and public utilities to test drinking water for several “forever chemicals” and has proposed tougher health standards for two particular compounds linked to health problems.
Lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday on the first of multiple bills this session taking aim at the class of chemicals known as PFAS, which are the focus of growing health concerns nationwide.
Public health group, Maine lawmakers call for sweeping response to ‘forever chemicals’
Defend Our Health, a Portland-based nonprofit group, has worked with two state representatives to introduce seven bills aimed at cleaning up and regulating forever chemicals in food, farmland, drinking water and household products.
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A Portland-based nonprofit group has joined forces with state representatives, health care professionals and residents to push several bills through the Maine Legislature that would deal directly with the cleanup and regulation of “forever chemicals” in food, farmland, drinking water and household products.
At a news conference Thursday morning, Patrick MacRoy, deputy director of Defend Our Health, reiterated the organization’s mission and discussed how the group has called upon the state to change its guidelines on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFOA and PFOS since 2019.
Public health group, Maine lawmakers call for sweeping response to ‘forever chemicals’
Defend Our Health, a Portland-based nonprofit group, has worked with two state representatives to introduce seven bills aimed at cleaning up and regulating forever chemicals in food, farmland, drinking water and household products.
Share
A Portland-based nonprofit group has joined forces with state representatives, health care professionals and residents to push several bills through the Maine Legislature that would deal directly with the cleanup and regulation of “forever chemicals” in food, farmland, drinking water and household products.
At a news conference Thursday morning, Patrick MacRoy, deputy director of Defend Our Health, reiterated the organization’s mission and discussed how the group has called upon the state to change its guidelines on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFOA and PFOS since 2019.