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Michigan delegation in Washington, DC lead charge for PFAS committee

LANSING, MI (MPRN)--   U.S. lawmakers announced the creation of a bipartisan task force Wednesday to fight PFAS chemicals. 

A majority of the members on the task force are from Michigan.

PFAS are a family of chemicals that have been found in things like certain types of fire-fighting foam and stain and water repellants. They have been linked to serious health concerns.

Congressman Dan Kildee is on the task force. He says Michigan – as the Great Lakes State - needs to take charge of this issue.

“We have to protect our lakes, our rivers, our streams because it kind of defines who we are,” he says.

The idea is to educate members about PFAS and then come up with legislation and policy changes – like regulation of products with PFAS and resources for site cleanup.

The task force also includes Representatives Fred Upton, Andy Levin, Jack Bergman, Haley Stevens, Elissa Slotkin, Rashida Tlaib, Debbie Dingell, and Brenda Lawrence.

Before becoming the newest Capitol reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network, Cheyna Roth was an attorney. She spent her days fighting it out in court as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Ionia County. Eventually, Cheyna took her investigative and interview skills and moved on to journalism. She got her masters at Michigan State University and was a documentary filmmaker, podcaster, and freelance writer before finding her home with NPR. Very soon after joining MPRN, Cheyna started covering the 2016 presidential election, chasing after Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and all their surrogates as they duked it out for Michigan. Cheyna also focuses on the Legislature and criminal justice issues for MPRN. Cheyna is obsessively curious, a passionate storyteller, and an occasional backpacker. Follow her on Twitter at @Cheyna_R