In April of 2021, Dr. Laurel Schaider, lead scientist at the Silent Spring Institute and co-lead of STEEP’s Community Engagement Core, was invited to present to the Barnstable County Commissioners on Cape Cod, MA. Schaider provided an overview of PFAS in general, what is known about PFAS in drinking water on Cape Cod, and information about STEEP’s and Silent Spring’s PFAS research on Cape Cod. Later that month, Schaider moderated a session for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Guidance on PFAS Testing and Health Outcomes Eastern U.S. Town Hall. The goal of this town hall was to provide a forum for residents of PFAS-impacted communities to share their perspectives and expertise with members of a study panel who will be developing recommendations on medical monitoring and blood testing.
The Silent Spring Institute hosted a virtual forum on May 18th for residents of Hyannis, MA, where Schaider presented findings from The Massachusetts PFAS and Your Health Study, of which she is the project lead. Funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the study is part of a nationwide effort to learn more about the relationship between harmful PFAS contaminants in drinking water and their human health effects by studying affected communities around the country, including Cape Cod. Findings from the effort will help local officials and state and federal government agencies make better decisions about how to protect public health and support communities in reducing exposures to PFAS.
