Group of Presque Isle residents demand action on forever chemicals in their homes
February 19, 2020 |
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Four Presque Isle residents sent a public letter to the Presque Isle Utilities District and state government officials on Wednesday demanding the district address the presence of PFAS chemicals — substances known for their inability to break down and their link to adverse health effects — in the residents’ land and drinking water.
PFAS chemicals are a group of synthetic chemicals the EPA said may be linked to cancer. PFAS chemicals are colloquially known as “forever chemicals” because they are difficult to break down, and there is no known method to destroy them.
Members of the group accuse the Presque Isle Utilities District of negligently allowing the spreading of such chemicals in nearby fields to infect their nearby homes and drinking water. Calling for further action from the state, the letter was expected to be read in a Maine State Legislature committee meeting on Thursday.