President Ember introduced Emma Halas-O'Connor, Environmental Health Campaign Manager of the Environmental Health Strategy Center spoke on Tuesday about safe drinking water.
From their website: "Mainers are uniquely vulnerable to toxic chemicals in drinking water, for two reasons:
  1. Maine is situated on top of bedrock and soils that naturally produce toxic arsenic and other harmful chemicals that seep into our drinking water.
  2. Federal and state safe drinking water standards don’t apply to household wells, which roughly half of all Mainers rely on for drinking and cooking. In fact, in some regions, almost every household uses its own well.

Maine household well water: Under-tested, and often toxic

Less than half of household wells in Maine have been tested for toxic chemicals like arsenic, but it is estimated that one in eight wells have levels of arsenic and other toxic chemicals above federal and state-established safe thresholds for drinking.

These toxic contaminants pose serious health risks to Maine people. Scientific studies have linked arsenic to cancer of the skin, lung, and bladder, as well as harm to the developing brain, leading to lowered IQ levels. Pregnant women and children are even more vulnerable because exposure to contaminants like arsenic can disrupt the healthy development of their bodies."

Emma spoke about the need to promote awareness of the need to test well water and is advocating for state funding for a PR campaign.