Flea-Control Products Found to Be Infested With Forever Chemicals

Popular pet flea collars and treatments contain high levels of toxic PFAS chemicals, ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

FLEA-CONTROL PRODUCTS FOUND TO BE INFESTED WITH FOREVER CHEMICALS High PFAS Levels Pose Additional Risks to Pets, Owners  Popular pet flea collars and treatments contain high levels of toxic PFAS chemicals, according to laboratory test results posted today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.    PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are associated with a variety of ailments, including suppressed immune function, thyroid disease, testicular and kidney cancers and liver damage.   Popular flea and tick products were sent to a certified lab, which found that: Frontline Plus for Dogs, a popular topical flea and tick product, contains 2,390 parts per trillion (ppt) of four different PFAS, including GenX. Frontline is a liquid pesticide applied between the pets' shoulder blades once a month; it spreads throughout the skin and fur.   Seresto flea and tick collars contain 250 ppt of a long-chain PFAS. Seresto is a plastic band impregnated with insecticides and other ingredients that are released over time and coat an animal's fur.    By comparison, the EPA has yet to promulgate legal limits but has established a 70 ppt lifetime health advisory for two types of PFAS (PFOA and PFOS) in drinking water. Leading scientists have called for a drinking water safety limit of 0.1 ppt for PFOA.   After testing by PEER revealed PFAS levels of 250-500 ppt in Anvil 10+10, a widely used, aerially sprayed insecticide, the EPA asked states with existing stocks of Anvil to discontinue its use in order to minimize risks to both the environment and human health.     "EPA's oversight of pest control products is beyond negligent," said PEER science policy director Kyla Bennett, a scientist and attorney formerly with the EPA. "EPA insists that pesticides do not contain PFAS as deliberately added ingredients, yet PFAS are on both EPA's approved list of inert ingredients and are active ingredients in a number of pesticide products. On one hand, EPA declares the urgent need to control the spread of PFAS, while its other hand facilitates the spread of PFAS through lax pesticide regulation."     One major concern is that people can be exposed to these products though their skin by petting and playing with their pets and children face even greater risk through their frequent hand-to-mouth behavior.    A recent study found dogs and cats are highly exposed to PFAS and often exposed to concentrations well above the minimum risk level identified for humans.   The troubling findings regarding PFAS in flea-control products comes after documents obtained from the EPA revealed the agency has received more than 75,000 complaints linking the Seresto flea collar to harms ranging from skin irritation to nearly 1,700 pet deaths. Yet the agency has taken no action in response to the reports such as recalling the product or issuing a nationwide warning to the public of its potential dangers.    The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal legal petition last month urging the EPA to cancel the registration of the Seresto collar, which is also linked to nearly 1,000 incidents of harm to humans.   "The trust the public puts in our regulatory agencies is being blatantly violated by the EPA's pesticide office," said Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "The lack of transparency here is dumbfounding. Not only are we finding out that these products are associated with high levels of harm, but they include dangerous ingredients that are not even being disclosed."   Often referred to as "forever chemicals" because they don't break down and can accumulate in humans, PFAS can be found in some food packaging and a wide variety of industrial and household products — including nonstick materials, cleaning products and firefighting foams. Ph: (202) 265-PEER (7337) · Fax: (202) 265-4192 All content © 2017 Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility 962 Wayne Ave, Suite 610, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Library of Congress: 2021 National Book Festival - September 2021

Create your National Book Festival Experience over 10 Days in Multiple Formats The 2021 Library of Congress National Book Festival will invite audiences to create their own festival experiences from programs in a range of formats and an expanded schedule over 10 days from Sept. 17 through Sept. 26. The spectacular lineup includes authors, poets and illustrators from America and around the world. Subscribe to the festival blog here for updates on plans for the festival. Click here for more information  https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-21-027/create-your-national-book-festival-experience-over-10-days-in-multiple-formats/2021-06-07/

Chapter 61 Maple Hill Public Hearings scheduled

Chapter 61 Maple Hill Public Hearings

Please make note of the upcoming Chapter 61 Maple Hill Public Hearings: 

• Wednesday, June 9 at 7 pm Town Council Meeting  Agenda and Links ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/town-council/events/310221
• Wednesday, June 16 at 6 pm  Finance Committee Meeting  Agenda and Links to be posted here ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/finance-committee/events/310061
• Thursday, June 17 at 5 pm Community Preservation Committee Meeting  Agenda and Links to be posted here -> https://www.franklinma.gov/community-preservation-committee/events/330126

Chapter 61 Maple Hill Public Hearings scheduled

Franklin Area Nonprofit Network "Things you can do before the next meeting June 28, 2021"

In advance of our next meeting, you can:

1 - Check out the updated listing of nonprofits   https://www.franklinareanonprofitnetwork.org/p/area-non-profits.html

Use the form to make updates, changes, or additions

https://www.franklinareanonprofitnetwork.org/p/directory-addchange.html

2 - Friendly reminder: sign up to introduce your group/org  

• Organizations can sign up for the “get to know each other list”  https://forms.gle/cFTsMSu5y4fwfPkP7 

3 - The meeting has been created in Facebook to enable sharing:

Facebook event for June 28 https://www.facebook.com/events/492002222052938/

4 - MetroWest Nonprofit Network

Lunch and Learn - Wednesday, June 9, 2021 = 11:30 am - 12:30 PM

Let's Talk about Annual Meetings



It's that time of year. Organizations are coming to the close of their fiscal year and annual meetings are being planned and held. Bring your own stories and join with a few of your colleagues who have held meetings and will share:

• Lessons and tips about running a virtual annual meeting
• Low tech and high tech solutions like OWL
• How to manage a hybrid meeting
• Creating engaging content

REGISTER HERE -> https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ei1twi2cec54dfef&oseq=&c=&ch=

Things you can do before the next meeting June 28, 2021

 

Watch Rep Jeff Roy talk about "Empty Bowls 2021" on YouTube

State Representative Jeffrey Roy talks about the importance of the Empty Bowls event this week.

Video link ->  https://youtu.be/SSHCZGmRmXw

Link to buy tickets for Empty Bowls ->   https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?

Escape to the Arts! Saturday, June 12

Escape to the Arts! Saturday, June 12 continues Franklin's ArtWALK Celebration. 

 
For the complete schedule of events and activities for the ArtWALK

https://www.franklinculture.org/home/pages/franklin-artwalk-celebration-escape-arts

 

Escape to the Arts! Saturday, June 12

Franklin's ArtWALK Celebration June 11-12-13

FHS girls Outdoor Track performances - 2 school records, 2 individual wins

Coach Bailey (@FranklinHSXC) tweeted  on Mon, Jun 07, 2021:

Congratulations to the Girls Track Team for an outstanding performance Sunday at the State Coaches Meet. 

Two new school records were established by Kaitlynn Taylor (Discus) and Sarah Dumas ( Frosh HH). Lindsey Morse (HJ), Sarah Dumas (HH) and Anna Cliff (400) won their events!!!

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/FranklinHSXC/status/1401862501688557571

Jim Hoar Invitational  at Gordon College on Sunday, June 6, 2021

https://dl.airtable.com/.attachments/0bf865054affd4eeee3151d38f0337d1/3df9a67d/HOARINVITERESULTSV1.pdf

Girls 400 Meter Dash Varsity

2 Fenerty, Jillian   11 Franklin 59.38

Girls 800 Meter Run Varsity

  8 Peng,      Charlene 11 Franklin 2:31.28

Girls 100 Meter Hurdles Varsity

*prelims*

6 Morse, Lindsey 12 Franklin 17.13q

14 Pfluke, Barra 10 Franklin 17.90

*Finals*

6 Morse, Lindsey 12 Franklin 16.88

Girls 400 Meter Hurdles Varsity

11 Gaughran, Madison 10 Franklin 1:15.94

14 Fitzpatrick, Riley 11 Franklin 1:20.98

Girls 4x100 Meter Relay Varsity

3 Franklin  'A' 51.24

Girls 4x800 Meter Relay Varsity

5 Franklin  'A' 10:28.28

Girls High Jump Varsity

1 Morse, Lindsey 12 Franklin 5-02.00

Girls Triple Jump Varsity

11 Morse, Lindsey 12 Franklin 32-09.00

14 Guidi, Katelyn 12 Franklin 32-05.00

Girls Shot Put Varsity

2 Taylor, Katelynn 12 Franklin 34-02.50

11  Deforge, Lily 9 Franklin 29-00.50

Girls Discus Throw Varsity

4 Taylor, Katelynn 12 Franklin 104-04

7 Deforge, Lily 9 Franklin 84-06

Girls 100 Meter Dash Freshman

3 Cuneo, Sophia 9 Franklin 13.65

Girls 400 Meter Dash Freshman

1 Cliff, Anna 9 Franklin 1:03.65

2 Costa, Olivia 9 Franklin 1:04.75

3 McSweeney, Krya            9 Franklin           1 :05.57  

Girls 100 Meter Hurdles Freshman

1 Dumas, Sarah 9 Franklin 16.70q

3 Bruno, Cailyn 9 Franklin 17.52q

4 Tierney, Sabrina 9 Franklin 20.54q

FHS Panthers