Tribal PFAS Working Group

The Tribal PFAS Working Group is hosting an Open House webinar featuring a presentation on "PFAS in the Southern Plains" by Isabella Gandara. The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, December 12, 2024 (12:00 PM MST). There is no registration needed and participants may join via Zoom at https://nau.zoom.us/j/87660242446?pwd=K0R3VmNEcHBraUVUQzdWazBFZzR0UT09

What is PFAS?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that were developed in the 1940s. PFAS are found in many elements within our environment including food packaging, commercial household products, and firefighting foam, among others. PFAS are persistent chemicals and may accumulate in the human body for a long time. PFAS remain in the environment for a long period of time due to their strong chemical bonds. PFAS pose a risk to tribal lifeways, resources, and traditional foods.

Background
The Tribal PFAS Working Group (TPWG) formed in April 2020 to help address and reduce PFAS in Indian Country. The working group is comprised of members of the National Tribal Water Council, Tribal Science Council, National Tribal Toxics Council, Tribal Waste and Response Steering Committee, and Tribal Pesticide Program Council.

The working group holds monthly meetings to discuss various activities that would help achieve its objectives and priorities, and at the same time learning and understanding the implications of PFAS in tribal communities. The working group created a brochure that provides an overview of its activities and is available by clicking HERE.

The Tribal PFAS Working Group in collaboration with the PFAS Project Lab developed a fact sheet titled "PFAS and Your Health: A Resource for Tribal Communities." The fact sheet provides information on the health concerns, exposure pathways, and ways to reduce exposure to PFAS. The Tribal PFAS Working Group would like to thank Kira Mok and the PFAS Project Lab for their assistance in developing the fact sheet. For more information on the PFAS Project Lab, please visit: www.pfasproject.com.

To access the fact sheet, click: HERE.

2024 Working Group Priorities
The Tribal PFAS Working Group members reviewed and updated their key priorities for 2024 to continue researching the impacts of PFAs on tribes. The working group identified six (6) key priorities, which include the following

Continue to identify tribes and coordinate with tribes that are currently impacted by PFAS.
Continue to develop and identify PFAS tools and resources.
Enhance and promote the Tribal PFAS Working Group’s webpage with current publications, presentation videos, research, and resources.
Advocate for rulemaking, research, and education actions, with attention to inclusion of tribal lifeways.
Develop and host tribal webinars / workshops on PFAS issues.
Expand the scope of the working group to explore and research emerging contaminants and their impacts on various environmental media, including air quality.

A copy of the 2024 Tribal PFAS Working Group Priorities may be accessed by clicking HERE.

Contact Information:
For additional information about the Tribal PFAS Work Group, please contact Page Hingst (page.hingst@santeeoep.com) or Dianne Barton (bard@critfc.org). For more information on PFAS, please visit: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) | US EPA