As my family and I drove to Ocean City, Maryland, we would cross Delaware, with its lush forests lining the highway. In the forests run crystal-clear rivers seen from a distance. Every time, the water looks so inviting that I would love to take a drink, though I never do because it’s not safe. What many Americans don’t realize, though, is that our drinking water might not be safe either because of contamination from a class of toxic, manmade chemicals called PFAS.
PFAS chemicals have been around since the 1940s and are known as “forever chemicals” because they never break down and can build up in the environment and our bodies. Exposure to PFAS is linked to cancer, immune system deficiencies and high cholesterol. Two of the primary ways PFAS enter our drinking water is through firefighting foams and industrial discharges. In Delaware, the U.S. Geological Survey report has found traces of PFAS in groundwater from the Columbia aquifer.
Fortunately, Congress can address the toxic PFAS in our taps. Specifically, Congress should phase out the use of PFAS in firefighting foams, require the Environmental Protection Agency to stop manufacturers from dumping PFAS in our waterways and require the agency to create drinking-water regulations for PFAS.
In June, Environment America and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, along with 80 other organizations, submitted a letter to the U.S. Senate calling for legislation that protects our drinking water from PFAS. All Delawareans should join these groups in calling on our senators to turn off the tap on PFAS.
Hajrah Jalil
Baltimore
