Marvel actor says Trump’s environmental standards have harmed Americans

When Trump had the chance, he failed to protect us from PFAS, which has so far been detected in the drinking water of over 7,000 municipalities

Mark Ruffalo
| Special to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Many of us have struggled toxic pollutants for decades. So we know what some of former President Trump’s acolytes recently discovered: protection from our families and friends toxic chemicals is a priority for all of us, regardless of who we voted for.

Too often, politicians of both parties put the profits of polluters ahead of our public health. This was certainly the case under former President Donald Trump. The contrast with the administration of President Biden and Vice President Harris could not be more stark.

There are many examples. For starters, Trump is exploitable more asbestos, which causes mesothelioma, a devastating lung disease. Biden-Harris Economic Partnership Agreement prohibited asbestos. However, perhaps the best example is the actions taken to solve the problem PFAStoxic “eternal” chemicals associated with cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Trump has failed to take action on PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.”

When Trump had the chance, he failed to protect us from PFAS, which has so far been detected in the drinking water of more than 7,000 communities and poses unique risks to firefighters. And the Biden-Harris EPA required water utilities to remove PFAS from tap water — a historic decision that will provide cleaner water to more than 100 million people.

Biden and Harris pledged in 2020 to make PFAS a priority, and they have. No administration has done more to address the urgent threat posed by these toxic chemicals. Trump’s team said they would protect us from PFAS; the Biden-Harris team actually got the job done.

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While PFAS drinking standards came too late for people like Amara Strande, Joel Stelt, and countless others who were poisoned by PFAS polluters without their knowledge or consent, repealing or delaying this standard – as Trump’s cronies have committed to – would be an insult to their families who have fought tirelessly to bring justice for what can only be described as one of the worst environmental crimes in our history. We all want water, food and everyday products that are free from toxic chemicals. Only one of us would put polluters in charge of the EPA.

PFAS is just one example of Trump’s failure to protect us. Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency has rescinded a proposal to ban TCE, an industrial solvent that causes cancer and other health harm. Biden’s EPA banned TCE. Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency has refused to ban toxic pesticides that endanger the people who feed us. Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency has banned dachthal and most uses of chlorpyrifos and acephate.

If Trump wins, toxic polluters will rule the White House

People are right to worry that those responsible for protecting us from toxic chemicals are putting our public health ahead of the profits of chemical companies and other pollutants. But if Trump wins, public health experts won’t be responsible for regulating toxic chemicals like PFAS. It will be the people who produce the chemicals – and their lobbyists – who will decide.

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If Trump wins, polluters will return to power. People are right to worry about toxic chemicals. They are wrong to think that Trump will do anything about them.

After decades of allowing polluters to poison their workers and neighbors, we have finally made our public health, not polluters’ profits, our top priority. Polluters have known for decades that PFAS accumulates in our blood and causes disease; our regulators knew and failed to act. Thanks to Biden and Harris, we are finally getting the protection we all deserve.

Mark Ruffalo he is an activist and actor from Kenosha.