The public forum, “Should I Be Worried? PFAS in Sudbury,” is available on SudburyTV cable channels and on SudburyTV’s video-on-demand service.
The forum, held March 11, was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Sudbury. It addresses issues related to PFAS or “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” a class of chemicals often called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment or in human bodies.
Vincent J. Roy, executive director, Sudbury Water District, outlined how the District is dealing with PFAS contamination in Sudbury water, including budgeting about $10 million for treatment facilities. The first of the facilities, four large carbon-filled vessels, is scheduled to start up at the Raymond Road treatment plant in April.
Deirdre Cummings, legislative director of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG), and Carolyn Lee, legislative specialist dealing with natural resources legislation for the state League of Women Voters, described the extent of the issues with PFAS chemicals generally.
They advocated for a bill, H.2197/ S.1356, An Act to Protect Massachusetts Public Health from PFAS, currently in the legislature, which seeks to ban products containing PFAS in Massachusetts.
The forum video is available here. The Sudbury Water District’s PFAS report is on its website.