Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Susan Collins of Maine introduced legislation Thursday that would call on experts to issue regular health guidance and clinical recommendations about PFAS, a class of harmful man-made chemicals.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are widely used in industrial and consumer products because of their water- and stain-resistant properties. PFAS are widespread throughout New Hampshire, with serious impacts in the southern part of the state due to contamination from Pease Air Force Base and French manufacturer Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics.
The bipartisan bill from Democrat Shaheen and Republican Collins is supported by several environmental groups, including local groups such as Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water and Test for the Peas, according to Shaheen’s office.
Reps. Dan Kildee, Democrat of Michigan, and Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives in December.
“As we continue to learn more about the health effects caused by PFAS exposure, it’s important that health care providers stay up to date with the latest guidance so they can provide the best care to their patients,” Shaheen said in a statement. “As we continue to address PFAS contamination in New Hampshire and across the nation, this bipartisan bill would take an important step toward keeping Americans healthy by requiring regular updates to clinician guidance.”
Lauren Allen, co-founder of Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water, said she learned eight years ago that the community around Saint-Gobain had been exposed to PFAS chemicals for about 10 to 15 years. “Basically these chemicals are tasteless and odorless and they have very negative effects on the endocrine system and all the systems in the body,” she said.
“What was missing then was health guidance and physician guidance, and we’re still trying to get that in place,” Allen said. “It’s an ongoing challenge.”
She said it would be difficult to get state legislators to approve a bill linking exposure to health outcomes.
“Bills on this particular topic have been rejected or sent to committees for further consideration for years,” she said, “and nothing has progressed.”
In January, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry updated its clinical guidance on PFAS for the first time since 2019.
If the bill becomes law, the head of the agency would have 60 days to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, or another appropriate body if the academies decline.
Within two years, the agency would be required to complete its initial assessment and develop recommendations regarding the health effects of PFAS that are “measurable in human tissue.” Those recommendations would be updated every five years, or more frequently, if the agency head deems necessary based on the scientific evaluation.
In developing these assessments, experts should engage with “PFAS-exposed communities” and solicit feedback about their experiences with “exposure, testing, and clinical follow-up.”
Within five years of signing the agreement, the experts must “issue updated clinical guidance to address the health effects of PFAS,” post that guidance on the agency’s public website, and distribute it to state and local health departments and allied health professionals, with the guidance also being required to be updated at least every five years.
Studies have linked PFAS to a variety of health problems, including high cholesterol, weakened immunity, reduced fertility, elevated blood pressure in pregnant women, developmental disorders in children, and prostate, kidney, and testicular cancer.
The agency’s research has found that nearly all Americans have measurable levels of PFAS in their blood, and a study led by Emory University found measurable levels in newborns whose mothers were exposed to the chemicals.
“If we’re not talking about health and we’re not talking about the appropriate guidance that people need, then we’re not supporting public health,” Allen said. “Environmental health is a very overlooked part of public health.”
This article was first published in the New Hampshire Bulletin. Like the Maine Morning Star, the New Hampshire Bulletin is part of the States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public benefit organization. The New Hampshire Bulletin maintains its editorial independence. If you have any questions, please contact Editor Dana Wormold at danawmold@newhampshirebulletin.com. [email protected]Follow the New Hampshire Bulletin on Facebook and X.
