On Nov. 7, the EPA concluded a 60-day public comment period on a new proposed rule to add two Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) to the hazardous substances list known as ‘Superfund.’ Made infamous around these parts by 3M, PFAS, or “forever chemicals” as the scientific media has dubbed them, are a group of more than 10,000 man-made chemicals that are very strong, thus making them very durable for things like firefighter protective gear and non-stick pans. This also happens to make them very hard to get out of your body if exposed, which FYI, they are nearly anywhere.
According to two officials from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the expansion of this policy would be much needed in adding power to government agencies to seek out violators and offer remediation efforts. Since these substances are class 2B under the International Agency for Cancer Research (Possibly Carcinogenic to Humans), we should seek all efforts to make environmental cleanup as easy as possible.
We happen to live in a very health and environmentally conscious state. The Minnesota Environmental Response and Liability Act often times exceeds the minimum federal standards when it comes to environmental protection. I’m confident that once these measures are put into place, not only will we adhere to national standards, but we’ll go the extra mile to make sure we are leaders in the country.
Dr. Dominik Dabrowski is an occupational and environmental medicine physician at HealthPartners and is a current student at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
