We have been led to believe our Toxic Exposures start at the doors of a fire. That is a lie.

AND IAFF AND NFPA KNOW IT AND REMAIN SILENT.

In this chain of emails sent to our elected officials on Capitol Hill, media, fire service institutions, and the science community, I am expressing grave concern that word is not reaching the fleet, the boots on the ground regarding PFAS in PPE, AFFF, Dust, Fire Station Ground Water.

From: d
Date: July 19, 2018 at 2:43:28 PM EDT
To: Offices of Congressman Jim McGovern, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Speaker of Senate Harriet Chandler
.Subject: Recap of our phone call today.

Good Afternoon Russell,
Thank you for taking my call and concerns to Congressman McGovern. And thank you for introducing me to Drea and allowing me to give a synopsis of this issue.
At the end of this email is a letter I sent yesterday to Sharon Lerner of the Intercept. She has written 18articles on this issue.
Because of the amount of emails I send, I can’t help but feel the issue is overlooked.. that issue is the poisoning of the fire service. That somehow, this is ok because they mostly get cancer anyway.. Please excuse my frustration but when I see elected officials talking about issues that popup suddenly in the news, and then it becomes the hot topic,I’m very aware that this issue is ginormous, and it is still barely discussed out of the small circle of people that are involved.

I advised of the newly released toxicological profile MRLs. And that our gear tested at 14,000 times over the new MRL. That is only a “fraction of what is in the gear” as the testing method only extracts a portion of the contents.
I advised the newly released PFAS Toxilogical Reportstates many time the fire service is exposed and confirmsthe occupational exposure on page 536:
“Individuals who perform jobs that require frequent contact with perfluoroalkyl-containing products, such as individuals who install and treat carpets or firefighters, are expected to have occupational exposure to
these substances.”
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp200.pdf

I advised that on June 25th, during the first in the nation New England EPA PFAS Community Engagement in Exeter, NH,I gave a 9–11 minute statement on the poisoning of the fire service by the manufacturers who make our gear, knowing full well they use staggering amounts of these chemicals.
That, due to no regulations, as there are in food, our manufacturers may use these chemicals, with no supervision or regulations of how much is needed, as would be in the food industry, there by padding their pps/stock price in this 38 billion dollar a year business for decades.
That these chemicals are degrading in our stations for decades in theUV lighting.
That DuPont, Honeywell, Gore all know about the toxic nature of PFOA andsaid nothing to the fire service., while serving on turnout gear committees ofNFPA deciding safest fabrics, down to the minute particle permeation of fabrics.
That DuPont knew in 1992 their PFOA causes testicular cancer, the number onecancer in the fire service. That DuPont, Honeywell, Gore are immeresed in everyaspect of FF cancer research, symposiums, teaching. That the will not discuss thechemical additives of our gear, but focus on ‘products of combustion’. That therehas NEVER been a study done on turnout gear, new/never worn. Till ProfessorPeaslee tested a set we sent him.
They had a duty to warn. They did not. They were told by the UAWs union to
warn the end user, Both Gore as in ‘goretex’ and DuPont,, neither said nothing.

I also advised that during the NE EPA PFAS meeting, Alexandra Dunn EPA Dir of New England, and Dr PeterGravett were present and were not aware of the large amounts of PFOA / PFNA and other harmful long chain PFCs, that were being disposed of in landfills, thereby affecting the water systems.
I advised that I pleaded for Senators Shaheen and Warren to add the fire service tothe National PFAS Registry as has been decided for the veterans and active militaryper the Armed Services Committee.

I advised that I have been told by a European Foam Manufacturer employee, that the FFFC (Fire Fighting Foam Coalition) is now planning a ‘GLOBAL LOBBYING EFFORT’to target environmental groups and members of NFPA Foam Committee that they will need to use more AFFF to fight fires with the new short chain chemistry. If successful this will have catastrophic affects on the environment, as well as the firefighters who are using this AFFF.

What do we have to do to get this done, if the problem is that the fire service does not fit under the Armed Services Committee, what committee do we fit under?
I am frustrated with the amount of emails I send and seem to be treading water for2 years now.
Do we need to bring this before congress to get the fire service into it’s own study/registry/testing?
The newly released PFAS Study states that fire fighters have occupational exposure.
I am extremely concerned no one is holding these companies accountable for what has happened to the fire service. IS ANYONE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE??
I wish for Jim to read my statement to Congress, the same statement given toEPA. At the 44 minute mark, my statement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqzJcaIAXhQ

Thank you Testing for Pease and Toxics Action Center for the opportunity to share the plight of this nation’s fire service in this catastrophe. Thank you EPA and CDC for hearing us. We are so very grateful for the time given to us last night.
After placing the 2004 gear on the stage (it was placed in a see through bag as I was concerend about the amounts of PFOA/PFNA):Thank you Organizers and EPA Panel Members for allowing me this opportunity to speak.My name is diane cotter, I am here with my husband, Lt Paul Cotter, retired, 28 year veteran, Worcester Fire Department . And cancer survivor.My community is the 1.3 million firefighters in this nation who have been completely overlooked in this PFAS catastrophe.America’s firefighters have been on the front line of PFAS exposure since 1983 using it in AFFF, being sprayed in our faces, wading in it, having turnout gear soaked in it, and exposing our families to it after bringing gear home.
We were not aware how toxic this substance was. This turnout gear I have is from 2004, it is new and never worn or ‘contaminated’ as the fire service would say. Jan of 2018 our grassroots effort acquired Professor of Physics Graham Peaselee, of Notre Dame Univ to test it for PFAS content. Just the ‘fraction of the potential’ that is in this gear tested at 157 ppb PFOA and 257 PFNA.
THAT IS 14, 000 times the newly set recommended limit of PFOA.
Turnout gear has been impregnated with PFOA since 1999 (at least) to meet NFPA water repellent STANDARDS. We were never made aware. We do not know how much. Only our gear manufacturers have that information. We sweat in this gear, our body temperature rises and our skin absorbs these toxins. We start our careers in our child bearing years. PFOA and PFOS are designated by California Prop65 as causing ‘reproductive cancers’.
In 2006 the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) notified gear manufacturesr they would be restricting PFOA in ‘textiles’. One of those textiles is firefighter PPE. By 2012 PFOA was designated a Substance of Very High Concern there. Gear manufacturers were made aware of the decision to restrict the amount of PFOA in turnout gear to 25ppb and ‘precursors’ to 1ppm.
To date they have not advised the US of this issue. While the manufacturers are discussing and teaching about the issue in Europe, they have not mentioned it here. T
They minimized the issue when it came up recently in a firefighting trade magazine published by ‘Station Pride’ titled ‘The Real Cancer in Your Gear’.
We are in a particularly high risk exposure setting as our gear has been degrading in our fire stations where we work, eat, sleep, since 1999.
The coating degrades in UV lighting, in many stations our gear is stored in open lighting next to apparatus in bays. Paul’s station had 80 sets of gear rotating through his station in one week. The gear is designed to be used for 10 years. Over 20 years we have had thousands of sets releasing particles of PFOA into our stations.
The new short chain coatings are also a concern. NH State Rep and Enviro Scientist Mindi Messmer wrote an article on this issue titled Firefighter Cancer Quadfecta.
https://www.firefighternation.com/…/firefighter-cancer-quad… ;
From trade magazine FireFighter Nation:
The replacements, termed “short chain PFCs” were sported as better for the environment and public health. However, scientific studies conducted in laboratory animals indicate that the short chain replacements could be more toxic to humans since they accumulate longer in organs than the long chain legacy compounds. This may be the cause of cancer incidence in younger firefighters.
I have been advocating for a national health study specifically focused on firefighters to assess the health outcomes because they are highly exposed. It is often difficult to tie causation with cancer or other chronic diseases. Focusing on the highly exposed populations is more likely to carefully evaluate possible negative health outcomes for exposures to PFCs. This should include, at a minimum, thorough cancer screening and annual serum PFC monitoring of firefighters to provide longitudinal data to assess health outcomes (see Table 2). It is not enough to have a cancer registry, we have to prevent cancer by taking proactive steps to identify and prevent exposures in while firefighting, in fire stations, and in the turnout gear before they make firefighters sick.To date there has not been a PFAS dust study done in our stations. Yet, biomonitoring has shown firefighters PFOA serum tested in ranges from 243 ng/mL to 423 ng/mL from a ‘yet unknown source’. The ‘DuPont Water Works’ plant workers were considered high at 32 ng/mL.
Adding to this concern is the October 2, 2017 NH DES letter to every fire station in NH that of 6 of 7 New Hampshire fire stations water wells tested at ‘elevated’ levels of PFAS.
https://www4.des.state.nh.us/…/Fire_Department_H20Sample.pdf
In 1992 DuPont’s own scientist learned their PFOA casuesd testicular cancer. Testicular cancer is the number one cancer in the fire service. . DuPont is a manufacturer of our gear. They have yet to tell us about this. They are immersed in every aspect of fire fighter cancer research, and teaching prevention methods. In 2006 they notified shareholders that ‘any attempt to regulate PFOA would impact their bottom line’. They never shared that with us either. In 2005 the United Steelworkers Union advised Gore also a turnout gear manufacturer, and DuPont, to notify the end user of the harmful effects of PFOA. Neither did.
https://www.cleanlink.com/…/Steelworkers-Union-Warn-of-Harm…
On September 5, 2017, Environmental Attorney Robert Bilott, C8 Science panel’s Dr Paul A Brooks, and Fire Chief Jeff Hermes have demanded testing and studies of the EPA, CDC/ATSDR, and US Attorney General on behalf of all first responders US due to their exposure from foam and gear.
With NO regulations for these chemicals, manufacturers are under NO obligation to tell us what we are wearing, or spraying. They defiantly refuse to give us that information citing ‘proprietary information’. They have even lobbied for and win the right to NOT put warning labels in our turnout gear. Our manufacturers sit on NFPA committees deciding safety standards of gear, from the balance of a helmet to the width of reflective tape. but are under no obligation to advise of the chemicals in our gear. They never did. Not once.
The newly released PFA study mentions FF occupational and high risk of exposure numerous times.
Yet the fire service has been omitted from the multi million dollar PFAS Study award.
We respectfully ask Senator Shaheen and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren to immediately add this nations fire fighters to the PFAS Registry along with the already chosen active military and veterans.
The EPA and NIOSH have been kicking this issue of occupational exposure and setting limits down the road for over 40 years. Last week I shared a 1977 NIOSH report titled “ Criteria for a recommended standard — occupational exposure to DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS of FLUOROCARBON POLYMERS” . Here in 2018 we are seeing the same thing.
(see attached cdc_19394_DS1)
Under both Democratic and Republican leadership the EPA and CDC have been a catastrophic failure to the fire service. Hasn’t anyone wondered about the firefighter they see covered head to toe in A-tripleF?
After 40 years of INdecisiveness, the fire service took matters into its own hands. Washington State Council of Fire Fighters and Toxic Free Futer passed SB 6413 limiting the use PFAS in AFFF and requiring labels be added advising the wearer of PFAS exposure in turnout gear.
The Professional Fire Fighters of Massacusetts, in support with Toxics Action Center, has voted unanimously last week to make PFAS legislation a priority.
The fire service can do this state to state to protect ourselves and fellow citizens.
And we WILL get it done.
But isn’t that your job? thank you.

Russell, I wish to say thank you for your help these last two years, it’s been a difficult subject to explain/discuss/advocate for, yet you always know what is going on. That shows me you are listening.And I appreciate it.
Wishing you the best in your studies. I look forward to speaking to you again some day.

Sincerely,Diane
2

From: d
Date: July 18, 2018 at 9:04:34 AM EDT
To: fastlerner
Subject: Fwd: Send to media. Fwd: Help Please….

Dear Sharon,
I know you are on so many projects. But I am again pleading with you to let the country know about the fire service. We are on the cusp of a catastrophic disaster…
Please let me know if you can do something for us to get this issue into the spotlight for national discussion and action.
Yesterday I was contacted by Wright Paterson AFB Fire Dept Local 88’s President
Brian Grubb.
He is asking … me… for help. That is so troubling.. is this the best we can do for the fire service???
Brian Grubb has been presenting information we share in our social media posts to his command.
His officers have been receptive to his months of efforts.
He now wants pfas testing for his members.
He wants my expertise. That is the problem..
We have no national plan for branch of the fire service affected by PFOA/PFOS.
No national plan for career, military, volunteer, or wild land firefighters.

Even though CDC has known since 1977 that we are occupationally exported. (see attached cdc..)
Event though the new ATSDR study lists the fire service as occupationally exposed and discusses the fire service many times throughout the study. Page 536: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp200.pdf
page 536: “Individuals who perform jobs that require frequent contact with perfluoroalkyl-containing products, such as individuals who install and treat carpets or firefighters, are expected to have occupational exposure to these substances.”

Brian is doing what all leaders do he is seeking help for his membership. Fire fighter Michael Strouse has chemically burned by AFFF and has fought for insurance coverage since his injury:
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/09/12/firefighting-foam-linked-water-contamination-injuries-fire.html
Why are we sending firefighters into battle with no plan to care for them after they are poisoned by the tools we give them to fight the fires?
Brian reached out to me because of my public pleas to IAFF, NFPA, CDC, EPA begging them to act.
I immediately connected Brian to the team of researchers and scientists I have been speaking to since last year when we began researching the PFAS chemicals used in PPE. (see emails below, without using email addresses please).
Evironmental Scientist and NH State Rep Mindi Messmer just published an article for the fire service, discussing the very aspects that we are worried about:
https://www.firefighternation.com/articles/2018/06/firefighter-cancer-quadfecta.html
Still no government agency or organization is acting with any urgency for the fireservice.
Last week I sent a statement to members of EPA/CDC/NFPA/IAFF/and the sciencecommunity advising we were desperate… We did receive word back that Commander Kenny Fent of NIOSH is preparing a reply.
My day starts at 4 am with emails, networking and begging and goes on till 5 till my husbandmakes me shut it down…
Please expose this catastrophe for the fire service.
The chain of emails below is me speaking to the scientists and introducing them toone another as I email them all quite often. We speak to Dr Masami Kawamura in Okinawawho is trying so desperately to share her despair of the PFAS left behind by the US Militaryon her island of Okinawa. https://t.co/tZLEWAAV0J
Wright Patterson AFB can not get help from the IAFF, they have no PFAS plan. There is no plan from NFPA. There is no plan from EPA. There is no plan from CDC.
Earlier in the same day, yesterday, I spoke with Chief Kevin LaChapelle, President of New Hampshire Chief’s Association. He told me about his fire station in Franklin, NH. How he came to find out it was PFAS contaminated….He had no idea it was PFAS contaminated.. it was chosen to be tested by NH DES because it was in an area that had some type of building from the 1930s that was contaminating the soil near his fire station. NH DES came to the Franklin NH Fire Station and tested his soil/water. The results came back that he had very elevated levels of PFOA/PFOS in the monitoring wells:
http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/nhpr/files/firestation_results_des_12-4-17.pdf

NH DES told Chief LaChapelle it was thought to be from AFFF used for training at the station from the 80’s and 90's…
Take a look on this map:
http://nhpr.org/post/toxic-chemicals-found-water-some-nh-fire-departments#stream/0
The Franklin NH fire station is no where near any air force base…It is that bright red dot in the middle of the state (in case someone thought it was from the PEASE AFB contamination)…
This is our worst nightmare… this is what we have been trying to convey to the fire service… Every fire station in the nation should be testing their water wells…
And no one is ordering it be done…
At the New England EPA PFAS Community Engagement on June 25th, I gave a statement on the catastrophicfailure of the EPA and CDC to act for the fire service. I showed them the 2004, new, never-worn, turnout gear that Professor Peaslee tested for us. I stated the ‘fraction of the potential of PFOA that was tested is 14,000 times higher than the new MRL).
My intent was to plead with Senator Shaheen and Senator Warren to add the fire service to the National PFAS registry.
We are communicating with her aide Peter Clark and awaiting a her reply. We are also speaking to Senator Warren’s policy director Ashley Coulombe with our pleas to add the fire service to the PFAS Registry as both senators serve on The Armed Services Committee.
https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-introduces-bipartisan-bill-to-assist-veterans-and-service-members-exposed-to-pfas-contaminants
I was told the EPA’S Dr Peter Gravett and EPAs Alexandra Dunn had no idea about the amount of PFOA/PFNA in a set of turnout gear. But of course not, they couldn’t know that. That is hidden under CBI….
My statement begins at minute 43. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqzJcaIAXhQTranscript of statement and video are pinned to the top of our Facebook page Your Turnout Gear and PFOA.
After our article last year from station pride, The Real Cancer in Your Gear, The Data, revealed staggering amounts of PFOA and other long chain PFCs were part of the ‘chemical additives’ of the Turnout Gear, we became ground zero for fire service members to share their stories about pfas contamination and cancer experiences. https://station-pride.com/2017/03/28/the-real-cancer-in-your-gear/ AND THE DATA:

https://station-pride.com/2018/02/18/fire-gear-laboratory-test-results/

Even after Rob Bilott’s plea last September 5, 2017 to epa cdc ATSDR and us Atty jeff sessions, Not one agency has stepped up to do ANYTHING: See Rob’s 195-page letter here:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3988104-Firefighter-Letter.html

And this article on Rob Bilott, Dr Paul Brooks/C8 Science Panel and Fire Chief Jeff Hermes:
https://www.firefighternation.com/articles/2018/05/attorney-and-fire-chief-take-on-cancer-causing-chemicals-in-foam-and-ppe.html

When this rabbit hole began over 4 years ago, I wanted only to share the knowledge we learned about the PPE and have the fire service/ IAFF take it on.. that has yet to happened.
I was so green, I kept thinking some huge organization is coming to the rescue. Surely as soon as they realize the scope of this issue.. i mean, it’s firefighters… right? not even close.
Only Rob Bilott did. You can see here in his conversation with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! at the 16.31 minute mark, he begins discussing the issue with Amy,
and details the fire service: https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/18/trumps_epa_doesnt_want_you_to
AMY GOODMAN: Rob Bilott, just responding to what they are saying?ROB BILOTT: Yeah, I mean, these are chemicals that are presenting all kinds of different potential health threats. And one of the issues that we’re particularly concerned about now is realizing that our nation’s firefighters and emergency responders, who have been using these firefighting foams, or whose equipment and gear that they wear may have been coated with materials that included some of these chemicals in the past — those firefighters and emergency responders have very high levels of these chemicals now in their blood. And we now need to know: What is that doing to our firefighters?
But here is the truth of how we are handling America’s fire fighters:.. thank God for twitter…
Thank you Sharon,Please let me know if you can help,Sincerely,Diane CotterRindge, NH

localf88‏ @LOCAL_F88 16h16 hours agoMore@yourturnoutgear we had discussion today with Command leadership about testing firefighters for PFOA. We may need your help and expertise. Made good progress today and we shared your page to our brothers and sisters.
yourturnoutgear&pfoa‏ @yourturnoutgearMoreyourturnoutgear&pfoa Retweeted localf88Outstanding. This is a must. We need a national plan. Till then we will make our own. We have a team of experts ready to help. I will forward your message to the team.
localf88‏ @LOCAL_F88 15h15 hours agoMoreReplying to @yourturnoutgearThank you and feel free to give them my email address. Our higher up are going to in next week begin discussing with Human Performance Wing on what they can do. Looking for what we should be asking to be tested on and any baseline information available.

3

From: d
Date: July 17, 2018 at 4:24:05 PM EDT
To: emily.sparer
Cc: carignan gpeaslee , pgrand , sshaw , mindi , kfent , myrto.petreas , jburgess , ACaban , holly.davies, emcneely, rriley08, president@pffm.org, president.local1009, paul.jacques, jason.burns, lcadet, cmesser, lpetrick@iaff.org, bgrubby
Subject: Help Please….

All,
We have just received word from President Local 88 at Wright Patterson AFB. They are in need of information and guidance regarding PFAS testing:
May I introduce you to President of Local 88, Brian Grubb. Brian has been sharing awarenessof this issue with his body after finding information regarding PFAS exposure from our social media messages.
Currently, he is in the process of speaking with command leadership regarding PFAS testing his firefighters. He is seeking specific information on what they should be testing for as well asany baseline information currently available.
Could you folks please input info asap to Brian so he may be prepared to deliver to his command next week? I have sent him Leslie and Carmen’s FIREFIGHTER PFAS power-point (attached).
Brian Grubb email,
We need a national plan… THIS IS WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB LOCAL 88 asking for direction..

4 — — Original Message — — -From: Emily Sparer
To: d
Cc: carignan Graham Peaslee ; pgrand sshaw mindi ; kfent ; myrto.petreas , jburgess , Alberto Caban-Martinez, holly.davies emcneely Ryan Riley, RMacKinnon, MPapagni, paul.jacques jason.burns

Sent: Thu, May 31, 2018 1:12 pm
Subject: Re: Military Firefighters PFAS PDF

Hi Diane and others,
Thanks for adding me to this list! I’m re-attaching the file here in case anyone has trouble accessing through the facebook link. Contact information for Leslie and Carmen (the people who prepared the ppt and gave the talk at Harvard) are included below:
Leslie Cadet: Carmen Messerlian:
Best regards,Emily
—
Emily Sparer, ScD
Research Associate
Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE)
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
O: 617.384.9756 | C: 845.551.3858
http://hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

On Thu, May 31, 2018 at 12:15 PM, d <dwrote:
All, Emily shared a PDF for the Military Firefighters — It’s really great…
If the fire service has one focused on the structural, volunteer, wildland firefighter this would be exactly what we’re looking for. The gear degrading in our fire stations,how to handle don/doff gear, storage, handling AFFF and containers, testing water in stations, dust studies for surfaces, etc..
We’re going to share this and see how far the reach goes. Will keep you updated.
Thank you Emily, and please thank Leslie as well.
Diane

— — -Original Message — — -

To: di, ccarignan gpeaslee ; pgrand < ; sshaw ; mindi < >; kfent >; myrto.petreas < ; jburgess ; ACaban ; holly.davies emcneely rriley08 rmackinnon; mpapagni, paul.jacques ; jason.burns >
Cc: emily.sparer
Sent: Thu, May 31, 2018 10:44 am
Subject: Welcome Emily Sparer, and Mindi’s new article released on PFAS

Good morning ! Please welcome Emily Sparer of Harvard School of Health in addition to Masami Kawamura ~
Emily caught our attention last year with the release of this study:https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/08/harvard-researchers-examine-firehouse-cancer-threat/

Some of you folks are currently working with Emily, and this is a good way to keep everyone in the loop and to help Masami in her efforts in Okinawa….

Emily if you read below you’ll see that the group is going to be working towards a PDF designed for thefire service, as was done by the folks at Testing for Pease.. I shared the Testing for Pease PDF and in 48 hours has reached over 3000 firefighters. You can see we want to know what we’re using.
Also, Mindi just wrote an article on PFAS in the fire service and will be posted today in FireFighter Nation and 4 other publications. Her article is important as it is not specific to products of combustion. It discusses the degrading gear and the NH fire houses that have elevated PFC’s in their wells:
http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/pt/2018/05/new-hampshire-firefighters-face-cancer-risks.html

5
— — -Original Message — — -
>
Sent: Tue, May 29, 2018 7:29 am
Subject: Introduction, Dr Masami Kawamura ~ Director, Informed Public Project, Okinawa, Japan

Good Morning all,
May I please introduce Dr Masami Kawamura, of Okinawa, Japan.
Masami has reached out to us with her overwhelming issue she is working onthat encompasses the PFAS and various chemical exposures left behind on her island. You’ll see her efforts and the great challenges she is up against.
It was our hope by introducing you all to Masami you would reach out to her in support and assistance in her similar efforts.
Thank you all so very much,Diane

From Masami this weekend:
I am Dr. Masami Kawamura, a director of the Informed-Public Project, an environment NGO, Okinawa, Japan. For information on my activity, please see this article written by Jon Mitchell, a journalist, who works closely together. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/11/19/national/informed-public-project-seeks-environmental-justice-okinawa/#.WwQGw0jRCUk IPP’s website is here (sorry, only in Japanese). http://ipp.okinawa/ I am working on issues of environmental contamination related to US bases in Okinawa.
For general information on US Military issues on Okinawa, Okinawa prefecture issued the English version of brochure. http://dc-office.org/brochure

I would like to ask for your help to solve the base related issues, especially water contamination and protect our health and environment.
Let me explain the outline of PFOS/PFAS issues here. 1)the Status of Forces Agreement, SOFA, between Japan and the U.S. Military Under SOFA, US military is given exclusive right to the use of bases in Japan. It gives the U.S. Military strong discretionary power to decide whether it would allow on site surveys or not, and whether it would provide information on issues or not.
2) Water contamination caused by US Bases -Kadena Air Base In 2016, Okinawa Enterprise Bureau, in charge of supplying water to the Okinawan public, announced that PFOS and PFOA, had been detected in sources of drinking water supply in and around Kadena Airbase since 2014. Bureau’s data (sorry in Japanese) is here(I will translate them into English later.). http://www.eb.pref.okinawa.jp/userfiles/files/page/opeb/619/h29/20180405_PFOS_data.pdf
The average of PFOS + PFOA in drinking water this year is about 27 ng/L
In Japan,there is no regulatory of PFAS, so the Bureau uses EPA’s health advisory 70 ng/L as guidance for safety. To identify sources for PFOS and PFOA contamination in the base, Okinawa Enterprise Bureau and Government of Japan requested access to Kadena Air Base to conduct on site survey. Kadena, however, has not given permission to them. To remove PFOS and PFOA, the Bureau installed and activated carbon filtration system last year at the Chatan Water Treatment Plant. Although the contamination was caused by KAB and drinking water is distribute to the U.S.bases on Okinawa through the Treatment Plant, this installation of the filtration system costed Okinawa Enterprise Bureau 1.5 million dollars.
But it is a temporary measure, so we need Kadena Air Base to take fundamental ones to solve the problem. — MCAS Futenma Following Kadena’s case, Okinawa prefecture conducted survey for PFOS and PFOA contamination on the island. It revealed that PFOS and PFOA have been detected in waters around MCAS Futenma. They are not sources of drinking water. The latest data is here (available in English) http://www.pref.okinawa.jp/site/kankyo/hozen/mizu_tsuchi/water/documents/jfy2017w_report.pdf Okinawa prefecture requested US Military through the Japanese government to have a meeting to discuss the issues, but they told that there is no point in holding a meeting f”or which there are no established standards nor regulations”.
Going over the data, a local expert analyzed that soil and water contamination of PFOS/PFOA were occurred within both of bases and they are seeping in waters.
I am thinking of how we should address the issues.
Inspired by Diane’s action, I m now researching Okinawan fire fighters who work for US bases.
I greatly appreciate it if you could advice for my activity. Please let me know if you need further information.
Best regards,

Masami KawamuraDirector, The Informed-Public Project Okinawa, Japan

Masami, please allow me to introduce you to the group :
The names and brief descriptions of each person here is a quick briefing on the members included in this discussion. In this recent conversation, we are looking to assemble agroup of interested members that would be willing to work on a ‘PDF’ for the fire serviceon the issue of PFAS exposure.
Diane From April 30th on or about:
Good Morning!
As Courtney had suggested, I have compiled a list of each of you and your areas of expertise. I don’t know that I could fit in all of your bodies of work as it would cover pages and pages!!
Hopefully this short description will fill in the blanks, and allow for all to feel comfortable speaking and reachingout to one another. I want to thank you all again for all the work you are doing.
By having a tangible PDF that can be printed, and with the names of researchers such as yourselves,
the education can be shared over and over, by the 1.3 million fire fighters career, volunteer, wild-land in the nation, of which over 300, 000 are career firefighters working 40 hours a week in a station.
On Tuesday, Ryan Riley H&S Officer, PFFM’s Legislative Agent-Paul Jacques, Mindi Messmer, Paul and I met with Ashley Coulombe, State Policy Director for Senator Warren, on this issue and are seeking Senator Warren’s support on a PFAS fire service registry such as the new PFAS Registry Senator Shaheen has implemented,(see attached).
Masami, this link with bring you to the PDF we are speaking of:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/565b6fe8e4b0f0c1a028adc4/t/573e51ac45bf219b6da456bb/1463701938591/TFP_05172016.pdf

UPDATE.. 12.1.2019…. WE ARE STILL WAITING ON IAFF, IAFC, NVFC and NFPA to make a combined statement on SAFETY ALERTS FOR HANDLING, STORAGE, REMOVAL, REPLACEMENT, DISPOSAL OF LEGACY PPE AND AFFF.

Diane Cotter

Comment as Your Turnout Gear and PFOA