Post by Diane Cotter

On January 10, 2024, in Capitol Hill Visitor Center, Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) hosted the discussion “Overexposed: The PFAS Epidemic Among Firefighters” with experts on firefighter exposure to toxic forever chemicals known as PFAS and the associated health risks. The briefing also included a screening of the documentary, “Burned: Protecting the Protectors” in honor of January being Firefighter Cancer Awareness month.

Whenever we go to DC there’s never enough time to take in the magnitude of the city. The historical importance of the work being done in this magnificent place in one tiny corner of the world, let alone the breathtaking beauty of the buildings and the energy they hold. 

We were meeting our team; Kathy Crosby-Bell founder of Last Call Foundation, and Jason Burns, Last Call executive director. Kathy brought the entire board-of-directors with her and they were seated behind us for this historic event. Kathy continues to search for ways to raise funds, and awareness on this issue. 

Our guests included: Miranda Spivack, author of the upcoming book, States’ Secrets, which follows the lives of six activists, as well as Stacy Huston, podcast host, keynote speaker and Executive Director of SixDegrees.org, Las Vegas Fire Captain Richard Birt (Ret.), who brings international attention to firefighter issues, Karim Damji, Chief Product Officer of Diagnose Early, and Stephanie White, respected firefighter, podcast host and Fire Engineering alum.

Our event took place in the North Orientation Theatre aside the model cast of the Statue of Freedom.  A large contingent of IAFF officers and officials filled the theatre along with members of Congress and the Senate, both active and retired firefighters, media, legislative aides, and the curious who found their way.

At 5pm our moderator, EWG’s Scott Faber, Vice President of Government Affairs approached the podium with a warm welcome to all the dignitaries and attendants along with a briefing on why we were all together this day. 

EWG has been a constant resource for this activist as an educational body with tools and platforms to host firefighters and allies at the table with the collaborations necessary to move the needle on firefighter PFAS exposure awareness. EWG is also in solidarity with labor, as was evident in EWG’s 2021 Inaugural PFAS Conference.

Scott then congratulated our filmmaker, Elijah Yetter-Bowman, and Ethereal Films for the National Academy of Sciences, the ‘Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication’ for Burned: Protecting the Protectors. Elijah and their team received this award in Washington, D.C. on Friday, January 12th at a private event. 

Guests of Honor

Scott introduced Congressman James McGovern (MA), giving praise to his bi-partisan efforts on PFAS and many important issues, as well as Rep McGovern’s tireless work on Capitol Hill for numerous environmental concerns. 

Congressman McGovern spoke on his bipartisan work and championed the passage of pending legislation to protect firefighters and the communities impacted by PFAS. He spoke on past and pending legislation he has written — requiring stopping the chemicals at the source and requiring the EPA to list PFAS as a ‘hazardous substance’. He also spoke of his years working with firefighters who have always been first to answer the call, and when learning of their exposure to PFAS, he was driven to co-found the Bi-Partisan Congressional PFAS Task Force. 

Scott announced Senator Shaheen (NH) as a leader in her years of work for first responders and her constituents PFAS exposures. He highlighted her work as Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, in which she successfully commissioned funding for the multi year NIST Study on firefighter turnout gear, which recently produced its’ first release.

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI) told the audience that firefighters were very special to him, as he came from a family of firefighters. His grandfather and uncle were firefighters And, his district manager Jake Bennett is also a firefighter! He spoke of Michigan having so much PFAS, ‘because we look for it”.

Following Michigan closely all these years it is impossible to convey how hard this Congressman and his teams have worked on this issue. I recalled the first (2018) map I saw of 1,487 fire houses in Michigan that were all labeled a ‘potential PFAS concern’. 

He spoke of the work of the PFAS Task Force he founded with Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, and the need for the Task Force to be a bi-partisan effort and for the work to continue. 

Scott Faber lauded Congresswoman Debbie Dingle (MI) for her nonstop work in the PFAS arena, for being a great friend of the firefighters, and of her work to set deadlines for the government to take action to address PFAS drinking water standards. She’s led efforts for the government to set limits on how much PFAS can be discharged into the environment and to get PFAS out of the everyday products we bring into our homes. Now she leads the effort to ban PFAS in firefighting foam (AFFF), whether it’s Department of Defense (DoD) installations or civilian airports. 

Rep Dingle thanked the organizers and IAFF General President Edward Kelly after speaking to him on New Years’ day when she saw him on MSN sharing the details of PFAS in firefighter turnout gear.

She spoke of her long affection with firefighters, how they helped care for her husband John when he was ill, and how they were there for her when he passed. How they cooked for her weekly and how strongly she felt about the work that needed to be passed to protect America’s Bravest. Rep Dingle was passionate about the health and safety of firefighters and the need for gear without PFAS. She spoke on behalf of the push to pass her bill H.R. 4769 PFAS Alternatives Act.

Scott Faber spoke in reverence for Senator Gary Peters (MI), of years of strong work originating in MI spreading nationally, holding the DoD accountable for the deadlines to remediate PFAS now set into law by Congress among countless PFAS actions. 

Senator Gary Peters spoke on his years of work to remediate and elevate the PFAS from DoD contamination — from industry, and his work in the Senate to protect the health and safety of firefighters from PFAS. Senator Peters stressed the potential threat of PFAS contamination that may eclipse previous threats.

As I sat in front of Senator Peters, I recalled activist Kristen Mello meeting with his this aide, Yogin Kathari, in 2019 and pushing the issue of PFAS in firefighter turnout gear literally into his hands, telling him, “this is gonna be a very, very big deal”.

Senator Kristin Gillibrand was introduced as a longtime friend of firefighters. Senator Gillibrand spoke on the bipartisan work of this issue (PFAS), and that when she travels the country she is still shocked to find out how much PFAS pollution there is — either from manufacturing or AFFF on military bases. She spoke of her state, New York, and the pervasive pollution upstate/downstate, in western New York, in North country, and in her home area due to Saint Gobain. She’s been to all military bases across the state of New York where AFFF was used. Senator praised firefighters for their work, as they are using the products every day, and knew it was in the rigs and clothing.

She spoke of the work still needed. She spoke of the mandatory cleanup work now being done by DoD and the efforts within Congress that have made a difference in communities for safe water. She spoke of the need to get the fire community protected and the work done in AFFF. She spoke to the 2022 NDAA to phase out the use of PFAS in the military, and that last year she partnered with Congressman Kildee to introduce the PFAS Firefighter Protection Act, the state-of-the-art bill that needs to get done regarding AFFF.  

Question and Answer Panel

IAFF General President Edward A. Kelly 

President Kelly spoke on the statistics of firefighter cancer, the more aggressive cancers at younger ages of firefighters, of the need for medical monitoring, health studies, early detection, partnerships with American Cancer Society and more. President Kelly stressed that firefighter cancer has passed heart disease as the number one killer of firefighters.

President Kelly told the audience he would never forget the impact of the call he took while on duty at his Boston firehouse from Last Call Foundation founder, Kathy Crosby-Bell, when Kathy told him of Dr. Peaslee’s findings of his June 2020 study. 

The work of the IAFF on PFAS has grown exponentially under GP Kelly from taking on the industry, the NFPA, and building a network of law firms and scientists to educate and elevate the needs of the members. 

President Kelly stressed the most important act to protect his members right now is for Congresswoman Debbie Dingle’s bill to pass. 

Jason Burns ~ PFFM District 8 VP and Executive Director, Last Call Foundation Honoring Firefighter Michael Kennedy 

Jason has become a leading authority on this issue. After losing two very young firefighters to cancer during his initial months as IAFF Local 1314 president and standing in the trenches with this activist during heated times, Jason has learned the science, and is a passionate activist for the subject. 

Jason spoke on the need for state and federal legislation that protects firefighters, the need for education, and particularly the need for education and studies on reproductive health of firefighters. Jason advised the audience that we are still learning of the harms of PFAS as an endocrine disruptor to the firefighter community. Jason reminded us that he is from a environmental justice community and PFAS free gear may not be a priority . Jason asked that we focus on passing Congresswoman Debbie Dingle’s bill to get firefighters the PFAS free gear they need. 

Elijah Yetter-Bowman, Executive Producer, ‘Burned-Protecting the Protectors’ 

Elijah spoke on their connection to PFAS during their upbringing in North Carolina where the community is greatly impacted by adverse health effects from the polluted rivers used by Chemours and DuPont. 

Elijah spoke on the need for the efforts of storytellers, legislators, scientists and activists to align in order to combat the efforts of industry with unlimited funding. Elijah spoke to the needs of health studies and the work of NASEM to continue to spotlight the needs of impacted communities. Elijah advised that their work continues on the larger project ‘GenX: A Chemical Cocktail.’ Elijah also said that their team found the issue of firefighter PFAS exposure so compelling that ‘Burned’ was sectioned from the larger project to immediately bring the story to firefighters. 

Diane Cotter, Wife of Lt. Paul Cotter (ret), Activist

Scott Faber asked, “what would justice look like to you, Diane?” 

My response: “Justice would be for my husband to be back on his truck but that’s never gonna happen. Justice would be for the widows to have their husbands and wives back and that’s never gonna happen. Justice would be now if you did what Senator Mike Moore is looking to do in Massachusetts ~ that is to sue the turnout manufacturers who use deceptive acts to sell their products and hid within the institution the NFPA. I added that in North America fighter turnout gear market is a $2 billion a year industry, and that the projection is an increase of 5% due in part to the legislation coming into effect now that lawmakers have written to replace turn out gear with PFAS free sets once they become available…”

Our evening ended with new alliances, powerful discussions, and international strategies to protect the protectors.