Last June the Miami Group hosted an Educational Forum on PFAS, or forever chemicals, in Cincinnati drinking water. Laura Edna and Kathy Kugler helped organize the forum, and speakers included Sierra Club staff member Nathan Alley, Loveland resident Sharon Scovanner and Tom Scovanner, a retired criminal prosecutor. Around 50 people attended in person, and many more joined through Zoom. The session informed attendees about current contamination levels, the accumulative nature of the chemicals, and actions citizens can take to create a safer community. The Miami Group continues its efforts to raise awareness on this timely issue.
The mid-1900s introduced incredible innovations and magical appliances, but the era also created air pollution, a warming planet, and immense water contamination. These pollutants include PFAS, more commonly known as forever chemicals, which infiltrated the world’s water through factory runoffs and now are present in 99% of human bloodstreams. These chemicals are officially linked to high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer, and pregnancy-induced hypertension. However, many areas, including the City of Loveland, have failed to introduce proper filtration to eliminate these chemicals from water systems.
On April 10, 2024, the USEPA announced its first binding drinking water standard for forever chemicals in American water systems, which will be enforceable starting in 2029. They set the limit at four parts PFAS per trillion parts water (ppt). The EPA, CDC, American Cancer Society, and Environmental Working Group agree that the safe amount of PFAS sits even lower, at 0.02 ppt. In August 2023, one of Loveland’s wells tested at 35 ppt, well above the national standard. The city has yet to install admittedly costly filtration systems, and while they do have until 2029, unsafe levels remain right now. Action is necessary to ensure Loveland taxpayers have access to safe drinking water.
Miami Group raises awareness on PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals’
