Title: “PFAS in our environment: What do we know and what can you do?”
Date: May 19, 2024
Time: 11:30-1:30
Location: Tribal Government Center gymnasium, 483 Great Neck Rd South, Mashpee, MA 02649
Purpose of event: This community education and engagement event is an opportunity for the Tribal community to meet members of the STEEP team and learn about PFAS. Also known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS have been found in drinking water supplies and waterways on Cape Cod. The event will feature a 50-minute documentary film to provide an overview of PFAS. The STEEP team will also share results of PFAS testing of locally-caught fish and shellfish, completed in coordination with members of the Tribal community. After the presentation, there will be a panel discussion and Q&A session to answer audience questions.
Proposed Agenda:
11:30 am Welcome, light lunch available
11:45 am Film screening – Bloomberg Investigates The Poison In Us All (48 min)
12:35 pm Results of PFAS testing of fish/shellfish sampling near Mashpee
12:50 pm Panel Discussion and Q&A (Moderator: Dr. Emily Diamond, Asst. Professor, URI)
1:30 pm. Wrap up
Panelists:
- Dr. Rainer Lohmann, Professor, University of Rhode Island
- Dr. Laurel Schaider, Senior Scientist, Silent Spring Institute
- Heidi Pickard, PhD Candidate, Harvard University
- Jason Steiding, Director of Natural Resources, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
What is STEEP? STEEP is a multi-institutional project funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program. Through STEEP, researchers at the University of Rhode Island, Harvard University, and Silent Spring Institute are studying poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (also known as “forever chemicals) and their effects on communities on Cape Cod. The STEEP community engagement team has been working with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe on various initiatives over the past several years to understand how PFAS is impacting the Tribal community and educate community members on reducing exposure.
