[SEMCO] TOMORROW: Community Meeting on Chemicals of Concern in Drinking Water: May 24th at Barnstable Town Hall

[Laurel Schaider]

Community Meeting on Highly Fluorinated Chemicals in Drinking Water

DATE AND TIME:

Wednesday, May 24th, 2017 (Lunch will be served)
Barnstable Town Hall, 2nd Floor Hearing Room
367 Main Street, Hyannis, MA

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (English)
1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. (Portuguese translation)

The event will also have ASL interpreters.

OVERVIEW:

Scientists are seeking community input on a proposed study to test children
in Hyannis for exposure to highly fluorinated chemicals (PFASs) in drinking
water and to assess the potential health effects. The speakers will provide
an overview of the issues surrounding contaminated water on the Cape, share
experiences from other affected communities, and answer questions.

SPEAKERS:

     -- Laurel Schaider, PhD, Research Scientist, Silent Spring Institute
     -- Michelle Dalton and Alayna Davis, Co-Founders, Testing for Pease,
Portsmouth, NH
     -- Sylvia Broude, Executive Director, Toxics Action Center
     -- Phil Brown, PhD, Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences,
Northeastern University
     -- Courtney Carignan, PhD, Research Fellow, Harvard T.H. Chan School
of Public Health

BACKGROUND:

Highly fluorinated chemicals (PFASs) are persistent, harmful chemicals that
have been linked to a range of health effects, including cancer and
reproductive and developmental toxicity. In May 2016, the Hyannis Water
System was found to exceed a new federal guideline for two highly
fluorinated chemicals, PFOA and PFOS. Studies have traced the sources of
these contaminants to the Barnstable County Fire and Rescue Training
Academy and the Barnstable Municipal Airport, where firefighting foams
containing highly fluorinated chemicals have been used. Although a
do-not-drink advisory was issued last spring and officials took steps to
reduce levels in tap water, questions remain about the health risks from
past exposure.  In order to evaluate these risks, scientists are proposing
to measure levels of highly fluorinated chemicals in blood samples from
children in Hyannis and to assess the effects of these chemicals on immune
system health.

NOTE:

Following the first program, the speakers will repeat their presentation
for members of the Brazilian community. A Portuguese translator will be
onsite for both presentations.

CONTACT:

Laurel Schaider, Silent Spring Institute, schaider at silentspring.org,
617-332-4288
x224 <(617)%20332-4288>
Cheryl Osimo, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, cherylosimo at comcast.net,
508-246-3047 <(508)%20246-3047>

The event is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition,
Sierra Club, and GreenCAPE.
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