February 27, 2019
Announcement Comes After Senator Warren Pressed Agencies to Take Additional Action to Determine Whether Prolonged Contact with PFAS Contaminants is a Contributing Factor to High Incidences of Cancer
Western Massachusetts Communities to be Included in Health Study of Harmful Chemicals
Announcement Comes After Senator Warren Pressed Agencies to Take Additional Action to Determine Whether Prolonged Contact with PFAS Contaminants is a Contributing Factor to High Incidences of Cancer
Washington,
DC –
United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) applauded an announcement
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) that Hampden County and the
Barnes Air Reserve Base surrounding area will be included in a per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) health study to determine the health effects
of occupational exposure of PFAS. PFAS
are harmful chemicals that can be found in a type of firefighting foam used
since the 1970s. Both civilian firefighters and military personnel have used
these foams, and there is particular concern that PFAS chemicals have
led to water contamination around military bases across the country, including
in Massachusetts. “Our
firefighters and first responders are exposed to harsh chemicals while they do
everything they can to keep us safe,” Senator Warren said. “Though there is still work to be done, I am pleased that
Hampden County and the Barnes Air Reserve Base surrounding area will be
included in a PFAS study.” The
senator has been a strong advocate for firefighters, police officers, and first
responders who often risk their lives to protect the Commonwealth and are
exposed to PFAS contaminants. In August
2018, Senator Warren filed
two amendments to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act to improve data collection and research
conducted on health and occupational safety concerns facing firefighters,
police officers and other first responders in the Commonwealth. The
senator also joined a bipartisan letter
in December 2018 to CDC and ATSDR, requesting that the agencies take additional
steps to ensure that the health effects of occupational exposure to PFAS,
particularly in firefighters, are sufficiently studied. She
also joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senator Kirsten
Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in cosponsoring
an amendment to the 2019 Defense Appropriations bill allowing for some
funds to be used by the Air National Guard to reimburse state local water
authorities for remediation of PFAS.
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