To say “our government should not poison us” is not exactly a bold statement. Yet, somehow, it is one we have to make.

Let me explain: PFAS, better known as forever chemicals, are incredibly dangerous. They cause cancer, developmental delays in children, and can harm women’s fertility. Yet, despite these known harms, the federal government is about to take steps that would expose many of our most vulnerable citizens to these toxic chemicals.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has millions of gallons of PFAS-laden waste (PFAS are used in firefighting foams) it would like to destroy. Accordingly, they want to incinerate up to two million gallons of PFAS waste including at a facility in East Liverpool, Ohio, right on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.

The problem? Since PFAS are fire-retardant, incineration doesn’t totally destroy them — it just spreads them around. PFAS can travel hundreds of miles by air and water, so incinerating PFAS in East Liverpool would impact huge swaths of eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and all of West Virginia. The communities closest to East Liverpool, which are overwhelmingly underserved and already suffering from environmental and health impacts, would suffer the greatest consequences.

Anyone who cares about the basic health and safety of the region’s children must demand that DOD not burn these chemicals here — or anywhere else, for that matter. Those with the loudest voices, like Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump, and those running for House and Senate in this election, must state clearly that DOD will never burn PFAS waste and spread these cancer-causing chemicals so long as they are in office.

Such statements wouldn’t be necessary if incineration really destroyed PFAS. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. A study by Bennington College, for instance, found highly-elevated levels of PFAS in the soil surrounding a PFAS incineration site, leading them to conclude that incineration was “not breaking down the persistent chemicals but is redistributing them into nearby poor and working-class neighborhoods.” Another study in Chemosphere found that incineration “release(s) toxic air pollutants and greenhouse gasses,” while even the Environmental Protection Agency acknowledges that “the effectiveness of incineration to destroy PFAS … is not well understood.”

Before someone burned toxic chemicals near my house, I would want them to be certain it would destroy those chemicals. “Not well understood” is not acceptable.

And make no mistake, PFAS are toxic. According to the National Cancer Institute, exposure to PFAS is associated with higher rates of kidney and testicular cancer, and a study from the University of Michigan found exposure to PFAS doubles the risk of melanoma and is associated with elevated rates of ovarian cancer. A study from Mount Sinai found exposure in PFAS could decrease fertility in women by up to 40%. A study from University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine found that PFAS block “hormonal and metabolic pathways” needed for normal growth in children. The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes them as a global health risk.

The evidence is overwhelming. Indeed, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania understands PFAS are a huge problem. Currently a bipartisan bill is moving through the state Legislature that would address firefighting foam (one of the primary uses of PFAS), citing its immense risk to firefighters. Citing these same dangers, Alaska recently joined 14 other states in banning the use of PFAS for firefighters. Many states have gone even further by banning incineration of PFAS.

Our region, however, has an added impetus to ensure PFAS aren’t scattered into our rivers and our air through incineration: the Pittsburgh area already has the worst air quality in the Mid-Atlantic region. Adding PFAS “burn pits” to the mix could make our children playing outside a dangerous proposition.

Finally, this is a matter of environmental justice. As has happened so often before, the poorest people suffer the worst environmental impacts. East Liverpool, for instance, has a poverty rate nearly triple the national average. Midland, Pennsylvania, just across the border from East Liverpool, has a poverty rate roughly 50% higher than the national average. East Palestine, Ohio, and the communities in Beaver County impacted by the train derailment are roughly just 20 miles away, and no one needs to be reminded how that impacted them.

We cannot let our own government poison us. We cannot let our own government make it unsafe for our kids to go outside, make it harder to have those kids in the first place, or give us cancer. We cannot let our own government mistreat the least among us.

Candidates who want Pennsylvanians’ votes must stand up and say no to incineration of PFAS, at East Liverpool facility, or anywhere for that matter. Our government should not poison us. End of story.

Steven Hvozdovich is Pennsylvania campaigns director of Clean Water Action.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)