Andria Ventura

Joint Post with Anna Reade, Staff Scientist with Natural Resources Defense Council

The estimated number of Californians affected by water contaminated by toxic PFAS chemicals is rising. Data released just last week confirms that California has cause for worry, and underscores that the state should act now to protect its residents. One way to do that is to pass laws that stop unnecessary use and release of these harmful chemicals and that provide for better testing for them.

This week, we helped to release the 4th annual Who’s Minding the Store? report card grading 43 major retailers on their actions to keep toxic chemicals out of products and packaging.

They’re in stain resistant carpets and clothing, cookware, some cosmetics, outdoor gear, and even dental floss. You may know them as Teflon®, or Scotchguard®. You have them in your body and they’ve been detected in 455 California drinking water sources thus far. I’m talking about a class of fluorinated chemicals, called PFAS, and they threaten California’s water and its people. Why haven’t we done more about them?

Those of you reading the New York Times will have seen the recent story on spiking Fentanyl deaths across America.

America’s opioid epidemic is drawing public attention to a less-considered side effect of mushrooming dependence on prescription medications: water pollution by pharmaceuticals. And that’s where we at Clean Water Action come in.