Two days after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a roadmap on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) questioned the EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Water, Radhika Fox, about how her agency plans to address PFAS, which are still used in firefighting foam for aircraft and in other settings.
“According to the Center for Disease Control, 97 percent of us carry PFAS inside of our bodies,” committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) said in his opening remarks. “Several of these forever chemicals have proven to be toxic, causing, among other maladies, liver damage, thyroid disease, fertility problems, immune issues, and even cancer.”
