July 24, 2024
,
7:00 pm
–
8:00 pm
EDT
Join Beyond Plastics and award-winning investigative journalist, Sharon Lerner, for a free webinar delving into Lerner’s recent expose of 3M’s decades-long cover-up of the “forever chemical” PFOS/PFAS. Lerner’s article, published in both ProPublica and the New Yorker, details the experience of a 3M scientist who discovered PFOS in the blood of the general public and then learned that the company had buried evidence that the chemical was in everyone’s bodies decades earlier.
What is PFOS? How did it get to be present in almost every human’s blood, including newborn babies? What are its impacts on our health and environment? How does this “forever chemical” relate to plastics? And what can you do to protect yourself and prevent future health impacts and environmental harms?
Join us at 7:00 PM ET US on Wednesday, July 24 to hear directly from Lerner and learn more.
June 13, 2024
,
12:00 pm
–
1:30 pm
EDT
Join the Environmental Law Institute and the Pro Bono Clearinghouse for the tenth part of our continuing legal education series: Community Lawyering for Environmental Justice. ELI’s Clearinghouse strives to ensure that communities with viable environmental matters get the representation they need, whether in a courtroom, before an agency, or in a more facilitative or consultative fashion. The Clearinghouse connects communities and individuals seeking representation with Clearinghouse members and collaborating organizations.
This installment will focus on the environmental justice implications of “forever chemicals,” including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Our expert panel will highlight developments, challenges, and opportunities in this burgeoning area, discussing research on the disproportionate exposure experienced by communities of color, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory actions, and ongoing advocacy efforts. It will include discussion of the new final PFAS safe drinking water standards and designation of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid as hazardous substances under CERCLA. The panel is intended to equip attorneys and community advocates with the necessary tools to ensure their communities are not left behind in mitigation efforts.
Panelists:
Jack Schnettler, Public Interest Environmental Law Fellow, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
Scott Faber, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Environmental Working Group
Rashmi Joglekar, PhD, Associate Director of Science, Policy & Engagement, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California San Francisco
Jahred Liddie, PhD Student, Population Health Sciences, Environmental Health Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Erik D. Olson, Senior Strategic Director for Health, Environmental Health, NRDC
January 31, 2024
,
1:00 pm
–
2:00 pm
EST
Efforts to address PFAS contamination have been primarily directed at exposure from drinking water. However, a recent study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found high PFAS levels in locally caught freshwater fish across the United States.
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals,” can be found in soil and water, in fish, and in our bodies. This study found that consuming just one serving of fish can be equivalent to drinking water contaminated with high levels of PFAS (48 parts per trillion) for a month.
PFAS are associated with human health harms, including cancer, heart disease, birth defects, liver disease, and decreased immunity. Rural and Indigenous communities, relying on freshwater fish as part of their traditional diet and culture, can be at higher risk from these health threats.
Many states have PFAS-related fish consumption advisories, but Alaska lacks regulations and health guidelines for PFAS contamination. Several lakes in Alaska have fish consumption warnings due to PFAS contamination from firefighting foam. PFAS exposure is a significant issue in Alaska also due to atmospheric transport and ocean currents carrying pollutants from all over the planet to the Arctic.
In this webinar, CHE-Alaska will host EWG’s Dr. Tasha Stoiber and ACAT’s Pamela Miller to discuss PFAS contamination in freshwater fish, and how it represents an environmental justice issue for communities that depend on locally caught fish for sustenance and traditional cultural practices.
Dr. Stoiber will present a recent study on PFAS contamination in freshwater fish across the country. Dr. Miller will discuss PFAS contamination and related legislation specific to Alaska.
