In a new episode of The Arena hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s CEO Greg Sindelar, Rep. Helen Kerwin warns of the impact of “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, that are getting into the water supply used by ranchers and farmers.
“They are going down into the bio waste plant and then put on trucks and taken down to the farm lands and the ranch lands in Johnson County,” said Kerwin. “This this has been going on for years. We’ve been asleep at the wheel.”
According to recent TPPF research, “The current required standards for PFAS in drinking water from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are four-parts per trillion (ppt)— four drops of water in 20 Olympic sized swimming pools. PFAS exposure is associated with health effects ranging from kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, to birth defects and fertility issues. The EPA drinking water standards presume that PFAS exposure in any amount is dangerous to human health.”
“I was so horrified that the fact that we are consuming these,” added Kerwin. “They are finding that these carcinogens in the forever chemicals are causing cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, there’s all kinds of diseases and illnesses.”
Kerwin has filed House Bill 1674 that would regulate the production, sale, and use of PFAS.
To watch the full interview, click here.