Appreciating Community Organizing Behind the New MA PFAS Regulations

Last week Wellesley residents received the concerning news that the Morses Pond water treatment plant is contaminated with toxic PFAS chemicals, nicknamed “forever chemicals” because of how long they stick around. PFAS chemicals are known to cause cancer, kidney disease, and other serious health problems. They are toxic even in extremely small amounts.

I want to acknowledge and give a huge thanks to communities around the state and country who organized to advance these new PFAS regulations. Residents in communities with contaminated water worked together to educate people about PFAS, enable testing, and take action to promote safer drinking water standards. Groups such as Community Action Works and The National PFAS Contamination Coalition have worked for years to support local organizing for clean water and health protection.

Wellesley is lucky to catch this PFAS contamination due to our new state regulations. Lasting change starts local. Without the hard work of community activists at the local and state level, we would still have no clue our drinking water contained toxic PFAS chemicals.

Massachusetts now has some of the safest, strictest, PFAS drinking water protections in the country. Community Action Works and The National PFAS Contamination Coalition, among others, are advocating for the Biden administration to take action and set federal regulations so all communities in the country can have access to clean drinking water.

Sincerely,

Susanna Mirick

Intern, Community Action Works

Wellesley MA

More: Wellesley takes Morses Pond water treatment plant offline due to high level of ‘forever chemicals’