Recently, I wrote about the pervasive problem of plastics. But one thing I do not see this spring: the crop of plastic bags hanging from branches, rolling with the wind down the streets or strewing the parking lots. And despite their absence, commerce goes on. We have learned to usereusable bags and there is one less polluting thing to worry about. Hooray, we did it!
Another polluter, this one invisible, has been vexing our pure Alaska waters, and that is PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The federal Environmental Protection Agency has come to the rescue and is laying out drinking water standards to greatly reduce these poisons that persist in our water and do not break down.
The change also comes with money to assist local governments in the testing and treatment of local public water systems.
We can all do our share by stopping using nonstick cookware unless it is labeled nontoxic ceramic, stop buying furniture and clothing that have “stain-resistant” treatment, and as for the firefighting foam, it is up to the state Division of Environmental Conservation to oversee proper disposal of this material and replacement with less toxic materials.
We can all look forward to a spring with less plastic pollution and hopes for cleaner drinking water.
— Beverly Churchill
Anchorage
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