WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) introduced legislation to allow people exposed to the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS to sue manufacturers for the cost of regular medical monitoring to detect health problems associated with the chemicals.
“The diseases linked to PFAS exposure – cancer, reproductive harm, immune system harm and more – can take years to develop,” said Scott Faber, the senior vice president for governmental affairs of the Environmental Working Group. “Allowing people who have been exposed to PFAS to sue for the cost of medical monitoring is critical to securing justice for the victims of PFAS pollution.”
Only 14 states and the District of Columbia have made it possible for people who have been exposed to PFAS to recover the costs of medical monitoring from manufacturers. And many of those states have created barriers to the courthouse. The legislation introduced by Gillibrand and Dean, known as the PFAS Accountability Act, will expand medical monitoring access to all 50 states.
The bill would also allow courts to force manufacturers to fund research on the health effects of PFAS. EWG estimates there could be nearly 30,000 industrial polluters releasing PFAS into the environment, including into air and sources of drinking water.
“Because the harmful health effects of PFAS often take many years to manifest, people injured by PFAS may have no legal avenue to hold manufacturers accountable for the illnesses they caused,” Faber said.
The most comprehensive study of PFAS health effects was the result of a medical monitoring program created for the residents of the area around Parkersburg, W. Va. Parkersburg was the site of DuPont’s Teflon factory, which for decades discharged PFAS into drinking water supplies.
An independent scientific study of 70,000 area residents found exposure was associated with high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer and pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, among other health effects.
A peer-reviewed study by EWG scientists showed that PFAS has been detected in the drinking water supplying over 200 million Americans. As of November 2023, 4,621 locations across 50 states are known to have PFAS contamination.
PFAS exposure disproportionately affects military personnel, their families and the communities surrounding military bases, firefighters, low-income communities and people of color.
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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
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