WAYNESBORO, Pa. – Buttonwood Nature Center presents “Getting to Know PFAs and Forever Chemicals” on Thursday, April 16, at 7 p.m. at Church of the Apostles in Waynesboro. Presented in partnership with Antietam Watershed Association, admission is free.
The guest speaker is Brent Walls of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network. The co-presenter is Bergen Hubert, a product chemistry and sustainability professional.
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of nearly 15,000 man-made “forever chemicals” used since the 1940s in countless products from cookware to clothing to cosmetics for their resistance to heat, oil, stains and water.
The chemicals are of concern because 99% of Americans—from newborns to adults—have detectable levels of PFAs in their blood. These have been linked to serious health issues.
Walls will talk about the presence of PFAs in the Potomac Watershed and why the chemicals are a ubiquitous pollutant with many sources. The audience will learn how these chemicals move through our environment and contaminate our bodies, and about measures being taken to reduce their presence.
Potomac Riverkeeper Network strategies such as legislation, community projects and enforcement actions, with a focus on military bases and biosolids (treated sewage sludge used as fertilizer) will also be discussed.
Walls will distribute free test kits for community members to check their own water supplies.
Hubert will speak about forever chemicals in the apparel industry and efforts to reduce their impact. She currently leads New Balance’s PFAs phaseout strategy, including the development of prohibition policies, testing procedures and cross‑functional implementation.
Walls, the director of programs for Potomac Riverkeeper, holds a degree in environmental science with expertise in freshwater ecology. Since 2009, he has worked to protect the public trust of the rivers and streams in the Upper Potomac by advocating for clean water and ensuring the tenets of the Clean Water Act are enforced.
Hubert, a Buttonwood board member, has spent her career helping companies identify and phase out harmful chemicals from their products and supply chains. Her work centers on advancing chemical stewardship, regulatory readiness, and practical pathways for eliminating hazardous substances.
For more information, readers may visit buttonwoodnaturecenter.org or call 717-762-0373.
This program is presented in partnership with the Antietam Watershed Association with support from Marge Kiersz, Lucinda D. Potter CPA, SEK CPA’s and Advisors, and from Buttonwood’s Today’s Horizon Fund contributors, the Nora Roberts Foundation, the late Carolyn Terry Eddy Family, APX Enclosures and Don Gibe and Nancy Erlanson.
