DALLAS -- Lawmakers and regulators are increasingly mobilizing behind efforts to crack down on so-called "forever chemicals" known as Perfluorinated and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), and firefighters are among the most vocal critics.

Firefighters are exposed to the compounds through both firefighting foam and turnout gear, and are demanding action from the Environmental Protection Agency and Congress.

Scott Faber, senior vice president of Government Affairs for the Environmental Working Group, said the accumulation of PFAS in the human body is known to wreak havoc.

"These forever chemicals have been linked to very, very serious health problems," Faber outlined. "Including cancer, harm to our reproductive systems, including harm to our immune systems at a time when all of us are thinking about our immune system."

As part of a budget reconciliation bill, Congress is considering an $80 million program that would help fire departments across the country replace firefighting foam and gear that contains PFAS chemicals.

The compounds were present in toxic dust created when the World Trade Center collapsed on 9/11, contributing to cases of cancer and respiratory disease.

Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said PFAS chemicals touch every corner of a firefighter's work environment. He added it is telling nearly 70% of firefighter deaths this year will be attributed to occupational cancer.

"The tools and the gear we use to keep ourselves safe are poisoning us. All of us," Kelly asserted. "It's heartbreaking, it's unacceptable, and we have to stop it."

And PFAS are not just an issue for firefighters. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it was adding Texas' Northwest Odessa Groundwater to the Superfund National Priorities List, an area known to be contaminated with lead and PFAS.

A range of consumer products contain the toxic chemical, which means most Americans have it in their blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California lawmakers are considering a bill today to cut down on single-use plastics that are choking the nation's landfills and oceans.

Senate Bill 54 would require a 25% reduction in plastic packaging and single-use food-service ware over the next 10 years. It is the result of a compromise reached between environmental groups and the plastics industry.

Dr. Anja Brandon, U.S. plastics policy analyst for the Ocean Conservancy, said the scale of the solution needs to reflect the scale of the problem.

"I worked with other Ocean Conservancy scientists to estimate that this reduction would lead to 23 million tons less plastic in the state over the next 10 years," she said, "which is equivalent to nearly 26 times the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge."

Each year, more than 11 million metric tons of plastic is dumped into the ocean from land-based sources globally. The United States only recycles about 10% of its plastic.

The bill passed the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources Tuesday and goes before the Appropriations Committee today. It passed the state Senate in January. Some environmental groups oppose the bill, saying it doesn't go far enough.

Brandon said the bill would require manufacturers to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up the plastic in the environment.

"It would also require that all producers of all single-use plastic packaging be held responsible financially for managing the full lifecycle of their packaging," she said, "through what's called extended producer responsibility."

A similar proposal already has qualified for the November ballot - one that would move the timeline up to 2030 and ban polystyrene foam containers. The ballot measure is opposed by the American Chemistry Council and the California Business Roundtable.

Minnesota has more than 10,000 brownfield sites, which are abandoned or idled properties in need of contamination removal. State officials will soon provide grants to help retail corridors in underserved areas assess their own environmental threats.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is using $2 million from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the initiative. Over the next five years, 64 site assessments and up to 15 specific cleanup plans will be funded.

Amy Hadiaris, supervisor of the voluntary investigation and cleanup program for the MPCA, said they are specifically trying to help transform family-owned business and other commercial sites that have long suffered from environmental injustice.

"They don't have the resources needed to turn over those properties, to investigate them, to put them to higher use," Hadiaris explained.

While owners and communities from across the state will be able to apply, four specific sites already have been identified for priority cleanup and brownfield redevelopment. Skeptics of the government programs said while there is an environmental benefit, they sometimes push out longtime residents of low-income neighborhoods after a site is redeveloped.

Hadiaris suggested they hope to avoid such outcomes when the grant money is applied and projects move forward.

"Our goal is to support redevelopment projects that are important to the community," Hadiaris emphasized. "Maybe that's small businesses or affordable housing, nonprofit services; maybe even green space, like a pocket park in a neighborhood that doesn't have much green space."

One of the targeted sites is the West Broadway corridor in North Minneapolis. The redevelopment is being led by Justice Built Communities, which said one of its goals is preventing gentrification and displacement. As for other possible sites around Minnesota, applications will be accepted throughout the program's five-year window. Funds will not be available until later this year.

Compared to other states, North Dakota has not seen a lot of documented water contamination from the "forever chemicals" known as Perfluorinated and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), but residents who suspect there may be exposure in their community are being urged to follow up.

The Center for Health, Environment and Justice is encouraging grassroots efforts to address suspected contamination. Policymakers and scientists are paying more attention to health risks tied to the human-made compounds found in many consumer products and firefighting foam.

Andrea Amico, co-founder of the Testing for Pease community action group in New Hampshire, said for anyone thinking about getting involved, there are ways to make your voice heard.

"Testifying at government hearings on PFAS, attending and presenting at national conferences, participating in exposure assessments and health studies," Amico outlined.

Amico became involved after her family was affected by contaminated drinking water near a former Air Force Base in her state, where firefighting foam had been used in training. In 2020, North Dakota collected samples from dozens of water systems, yielding three minor detections, and there are concerns with soil contamination reported at sites like Fargo's Air National Guard Base.

In addition to military sites, Amico pointed out people living in industrial areas and near landfills should be aware of what's potentially lurking in their groundwater. The national coalition she is involved with has established goals to help protect communities around the country.

"And we want to work towards regulation of PFAS as a class, and we want it at one part per trillion or less, as we feel that is the most protective standard for communities," Amico asserted.

She added challenges include navigating the multiple layers of communication in reaching out to regulators and elected officials.

While the military funded the cleanup of the site near her home, Amico noted those examples are rare. The federal infrastructure law approved last year included $10 billion to address PFAS contamination nationwide.