LANSING, Mich. — On Thursday, U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin introduced new legislation to help protect service members from PFA exposure.
Slotkin introduced five different bills including;
- The PFAS Free Military Purchasing Act, which would prohibit Department of Defense procurement of certain items containing certain types of PFAS, including cookware, floor wax, cleaning products, carpeting and upholstery and food packaging materials.
- The PFAS Exposure, Assessment, and Documentation Act, which would require the Department of Defense to evaluate service members for exposure to PFAS during physical exams and – if they are exposed – provide a blood test to determine and document their level of exposure.
- The PFAS Strictest Standard Act, which would require the Department of Defense to abide by most stringent standards among state or federal PFAS standards in cleanup efforts.
- The PFAS Training For DoD Providers and Service Members Act, which would require the Department of Defense to provide each of its medical providers with mandatory training regarding the potential health effects of PFAS.
- The PFAS Cleanup Transparency Act, which would require the Department of Defense to post on a publicly available website timely and regularly updated information on the status of cleanup at sites.
"These five bills will require the Department of Defense to take meaningful steps to clean up these ‘forever chemicals’ and to provide essential support to our men and women in uniform who have been exposed. Winding down the use of PFAS and cleaning up contaminated areas has been one of my top priorities in Congress – it’s a threat to Michiganders’ way of life, and it’s time for action," said Slotkin in a statement.
Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are known as forever chemicals that can be found in your blood stream. People with PFAS found in there blood stream are at a higher risk for damaged liver, kidneys and thyroid, as well as worsened immune system, reproductive system and could develop multiple kinds of cancer.
Michigan has the highest number of PFA contamination in the country. About 44 tons of PFAS have been released into the air and water supplies of Ohio and Michigan.
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