The Water Log: Act now to protect clean drinking water in SC!

Your support is needed to protect South Carolina's drinking water from toxic 'forever chemicals'

PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been found in the drinking water of communities across the state. For decades, these toxic chemicals have been manufactured and used in firefighting foam and waterproof, stain resistant, and non-stick products. These "forever chemicals" never break down, and even low exposure to some of them has been linked to several cancers, infertility, liver damage, developmental effects in children, and a host of other health problems.

The good news is legislators are mobilizing to limit the amount of PFAS in public drinking water systems. Upstate Forever’s Energy and State Policy Director Shelley Robbins recently did a deep dive on PFAS in her weekly Legislative Update, highlighting the joint resolutions H. 3514 and S. 219 that would require DHEC to establish a legal limit for these substances.

Now, your legislators need to hear from you.

Use this coalition action center to contact your legislators and urge them to prioritize public health by supporting and co-sponsoring S.219/H.3514. These kinds of messages make a difference, especially if they include a personal touch.

Right now, the Upstate is showing true leadership on this issue. We are grateful that Upstate Representatives Chandra Dillard, Adam Morgan, West Cox, Bobby Cox, Neal Collins, Jerry Carter, Patrick Haddon, Rosalyn Henderson-Myers, and Craig Gagnon have added their names as co-sponsors of the House bill, and Senator Mike Gambrell has signed on as a co-sponsor of the Senate bill.

Learn more about PFAS and other issues during SC Conservation Coalition Lobby Week March 15 – 19

Join the SC Conservation Coalition, a statewide alliance of over 35 conservation organizations, next week for a virtual version of our annual Lobby Day with events and opportunities for engagement spread throughout the week.

The deadline to register for Lobby Week is today, Thursday, March 11 at 11:30 pm! Click here to register now

During these four days of virtual events, you can learn how to lobby your state senators, hear updates on key conservation issues, and help affect change at the SC State House. There will be opportunities to engage with and learn from fellow conservationists and legislators, including several Upstate representatives.

You can also join me for a webinar about PFAS featuring a Q&A with legislators leading the call to action, Representatives Adam Morgan (Greenville) and JA Moore (North Charleston) on Tuesday, March 16 at 11 am. Click here to register first — more information will be sent to join the webinar and other events.

Until next time

Thank you for joining me for The Water Log, Upstate Forever's periodic newsletter dedicated to clean water issues and advocacy!

If you know someone who might also like to receive this newsletter, please send them to this link to sign up: upstateforever.org/email

Have questions or comments? I would love to hear from you. Feel free to email me at mchase@upstateforever.org.