Maine Takes Action on 'Forever Chemicals' - Is It Enough?

Do you think the government is doing enough to address toxic chemicals?

  • 4,229
    larubia
    Voted No
    05/13/2023

    "Researchers have found that 98% of the population has a detectable amount of these toxic, carcinogenic chemicals in their blood."


    No, our government is not doing enough to protect our health and safety. 

  • 28.2k
    Brian
    Voted Maybe
    05/13/2023

    It seems like our governments are starting to take these toxic chemicals more seriously now, but it might be too late; we've found them in nearly everything.

    I hope that the recent actions taken by the EPA will help to stop the production and spread of these chemicals, but I'm sure we could do more.

  • 5,549
    Charles
    05/16/2023

    This will be a long good bye to the forever chemicals.

  • 1,289
    JERRE
    Voted Yes
    05/25/2023

    Toxic chemicals are necessary for some processes. Control MSDS etc.

  • 65.2k
    LeslieG
    Voted No
    05/13/2023

    Systematic reviews and meta-analysis has identified PFAS (4700 human-made fluorine-rich molecules) detectable in human blood and attributable to increases in 13 medical conditions (high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, impaired immune function, kidney and testicular cancer, breast cancer, infertility, low birth rate, childhood obesity, diabetes, thyroid function) costing anywhere from $6B to $63B in healthcare costs. While PFAS have been banned in Europe they are still produced in other countries.

    Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAs) are man-made chemicals developed to be resistant to fire, oil, grease, water, stains that are found in a wide range of consumer and industrial products, including non-stick cookware, stain repellants, dental floss, cleaning products and cosmetics. 

    The chemicals are discharged from PFAS manufacturing and processing facilities or high use facilities (airports, military installations, etc). 

    Once they enter the environment and source water, PFAS compounds cannot be removed by the water treatment process. Its estimate that 18–80M people are exposed to at least 10 ppt of PFAS, and 200M+ are exposed to concentrations of 1 ppt or higher in tap water in the US like my county.

    Our state says there are few sites in state, and are upstream of drinking water sources. 

    The EPA does not regulate PFAS compounds but maintains a health advisory which is the only federal standard  of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for two of the most common compounds: PFAS which is one drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. 

    In 2020 testing resumed of my county (and the neighboring county) filtration plants which identified 2 compounds (Perfluorohexanoic acid and Perfluorooctanoic acid) at levels barely above the minimum reporting level of 1.8 parts per trillion - well below the EPA's health advisory level of 70 ppt.

    Testing is done quarterly and reports are posted to the water company website serving our county and the neighboring county.

    “study identifies at least $5.52 billion in annual disease burden and associated social costs of current annual exposure to long-chain PFAS with our sensitivity analyses revealing as much as $62.6 billion. Regulatory action to limit ongoing PFAS use and remediate contaminated water supplies may produce substantial economic benefits.”

    “Although PFOA and PFOS have been added to the Stockholm Convention and PFOA use has been banned in the EU, they are still being released into the environment and are still being produced in other countries. Furthermore, both chemicals persist in the environment due to their chemical stability, resulting in ongoing human exposure”

    https://www.causes.com/comments/34503

    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12403-022-00496-y

  • 2,037
    530 East Hunt Highway
    Voted Maybe
    05/15/2023

    There are already sufficient laws on the. Books. Let's try enforcing them

  • 240
    MaryAnn
    Voted No
    last Friday

    Can someone please explain the meaning of toxic chemicals to SCOTUS? 

  • 883
    sepena
    Voted No
    last Friday

    good for maine for doing the right thing. too bad the supreme court is making it much harder the nation to do the right thing. the supreme court sucks supremely.

  • 2,163
    Arlys
    Voted No
    05/25/2023

    NO!  NO!  NO!  It's all about the profit margin, greed, and large donations and other perks regarding political control.  Time for the average voter to take a stand against this danger to our freedoms and democracy.

  • 1,651
    Lesley
    Voted No
    05/25/2023

    Not even close.

  • 1,310
    George
    Voted No
    05/25/2023

    ACTION NEEDED! 

  • 2,651
    George
    Voted No
    05/25/2023

    We have started but need to do more.

  • 2,037
    530 East Hunt Highway
    Voted Maybe
    05/25/2023

    The 94% that voted no, how many have backgrounds to know and understand the issue?

    Just more sound bytes to make your case built on emotions 

  • 10.2k
    MrGeer
    Voted No
    05/16/2023

    DOW corporation owes us all!! everything now has microplastics in it, you, me, polar bears in Antartica...we all have plastic in our blood. A compound used to make teflon is also in everything now. where is the accountability?!?! 

    apperantly, it okay to poison the globe if its profitable.

  • 883
    sepena
    Voted No
    05/16/2023

    but i expect they are doing their best under the circumstances.

  • 1,342
    Shari
    Voted No
    05/16/2023

    Stop allowing corporations to but members f Congress and put people and the planet first!

  • 905
    justiceforamerica
    Voted No
    05/16/2023

    The Government did nothing and is doing nothting about the spill in Palestine, Ohio except sweep it under the rug and then have the gall to distribute the chemicals all over Ohio a red state.  

    The sheer incompetence just continues to ring through. Too busy supporting China, insider trading and reaching out the left eh David Joyce.  Reaching out to what??? They the epitome of wanna be elite marxists. Being middle of the road David is simply a sell out to radicals like Brown who supports China trained people to run our banks and every stupid leftist policy that erupts from the Dems. How are those Dem cities doing eh.. Boy there is someone to work with. 

  • 831
    Lois
    Voted No
    05/15/2023

    We are poisoning our ground water with toxic chemicals.  We are harming future generations.  It must stop.

  • 1,176
    George
    Voted No
    05/15/2023

    we need to defeat far right lobbyists

  • 2,252
    Kevin
    Voted No
    05/15/2023

    The U.S.A. has comparatively loose restrictions on chemicals because so many care more about the big corporations that are poisoning us than they do about our people.

  • 642
    BrendaLee
    Voted No
    05/15/2023

    Our leaders inaction on this issue gives me some sense of satisfaction knowing they and their loved ones are just as contaminated as the rest of us. But thanks for nothing, as always, legislators. 

  • 724
    bojo
    Voted No
    05/15/2023

    Industries that make these chemicals and use them have too much influence on the legislatures and regulatory bodies.

  • 1,605
    Paul
    Voted No
    05/15/2023

    Change is difficult but necessary. "Forever" chemicals must stop being used or made ASAP. The best time to do it was years ago, but starting today would be good, too.

  • 2,163
    Arlys
    Voted No
    05/15/2023

    NO, I don't.  The government doesn't want to limit the funds they get from businesses so as to gain their financial support for political campaigns no matter which side of the fence you sit on.  Seems like they want to slowly kill us all off so as to gain control over those who come after us.  We all have the right to live our own lives without the influence of others who think they are better than the rest of us through financial and material posessions.  We are turning into a "me, me first" mindset all over the world.  Again, We are all created in the IMMAGE of whatever God we may or may not believe in.  Those in power need to get their heads out of their selfish arses, like yesterday.  Until the common voter starts voting for the changes needed within our system, all this will continue and end up destroying us.  We need to fire them all and install fresher, open minded individuals in their place.  If they can't live up to what they claimed,then get rid of them as well.  As any gunslinger from the old west will tell you, there is always, ALWAYS someone just around the next bend that will be better than you.  Think about that.