GLPAN Co-Chair Tony Spaniola recognized for long-time PFAS advocacy in Congressional Record tribute

APRIL 17, 2024

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Great Lakes PFAS Action Network (GLPAN) today issued the following statement after GLPAN Co-Chair Tony Spaniola was honored for his long-time advocacy on PFAS issues by Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, who paid tribute to Spaniola in the Congressional Record during a recent session of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congresswoman Slotkin and Congressman Dan Kildee presented Spaniola with the official Congressional Record tribute at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Apr. 10 – the same day the EPA announced national drinking water standards for six widely detected PFAS chemicals.

“Congresswoman Slotkin has been a trusted and effective leader in the bi-partisan effort to protect PFAS-impacted citizens and communities across Michigan -- and the nation,” said Tony Spaniola, co-chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. “I am honored to be recognized by the U.S. Congress – but even more proud to have partnered and worked closely with Congresswoman Slotkin, Congressman Kildee, and other members of Congress in the ongoing effort to make government work for all Americans on this critically important matter of public health and safety.”

In 2016, Tony learned that his family’s Oscoda, MI cottage was impacted by contamination from the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, the first PFAS site in Michigan and the first U.S. military PFAS site in the world. Over nearly a decade, Tony has been a leading national advocate for families and communities impacted by PFAS chemicals – co-founding both the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network (GLPAN) and the community action group Need Our Water (NOW) Oscoda, as well as serving on the Leadership Team of the National PFAS Contamination Coalition. Through his leadership and tireless dedication to PFAS advocacy, Tony has catalyzed local, state, and federal action to address these dangerous “forever chemicals,” including the Defense Department’s national PFAS cleanup directive for military installations - on which he has worked closely with Congresswoman Slotkin and officials in the Biden administration.

The full text of Congresswoman Slotkin’s Congressional Record tribute to Spaniola is reprinted below and can be found here.

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April 5, 2024 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E305

HONORING TONY SPANIOLA

HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN OF MICHIGAN IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, April 5, 2024 Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to an incredible advocate—Tony Spaniola—whose unwavering commitment and tireless work have made an indelible mark on his community, the state of Michigan, and beyond.

         In 2016, Tony’s world shifted when he learned that his home, and many others near Lake Huron in Oscoda, Michigan, had been exposed to contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, a class of chemicals used by industry and, in Oscoda’s case, our military. At the time, the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda had been identified as the first site contaminated with PFAS in Michigan, and the first U.S. military PFAS site in the country.

         This revelation ignited a fire within Tony— one fueled by a determination to confront the threat of these ‘‘forever chemicals.’’ Studies have shown PFAS exposure may lead to an increased risk of cancer, decreased fertility in women, developmental delays in children, and other health risks. Tony became a driving force behind efforts to address PFAS contamination on local, state, and federal fronts.

         His leadership was instrumental in the founding of the Need Our Water (NOW) community action group in Oscoda. Tony’s vision also extended beyond Michigan, as he cofounded the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, and also serves on the leadership team of the National PFAS Contamination Coalition. He played a pivotal role in the creation of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, where he currently serves on the Citizens Advisory Workgroup. Furthermore, his efforts contributed to the establishment of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force of which I am proud to be a member—a group dedicated to advancing legislative solutions and raising awareness about the urgent need to address PFAS contamination nationwide. Because of his relentless advocacy and uncanny ability to bring stakeholders together, Tony has earned the respect and the ear of senior Pentagon leadership, including Undersecretary of Defense Bill LaPlante, and has played a major role in pushing the Department of Defense to act more urgently on PFAS cleanup.

         Tony has been an advocate his entire life, which can in part be attributed to the influence of his father, Francis Spaniola, a retired Army officer who served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1975 to 1990, representing Corunna in Shiawassee County. During his father’s tenure in the state legislature, when the toxic flame retardant polybrominated biphenyls, more commonly known as PBB, was mistakenly sent to Michigan farmers as livestock feed and entered the food supply, Tony worked alongside his father at the forefront of tackling the PBB health crisis. Together, they initiated legislation that led to the creation of the Michigan Cancer Registry, regulated PBB, and compensated farmers for poisoned livestock.

         I have had the privilege of bearing witness to Tony’s unwavering passion since I took office in 2019 and remain grateful to have been able to work with him in our fight to clean up contaminated sites across Michigan and this country. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to our state and his steadfast advocacy on behalf of impacted families and communities nationwide, it is my honor to recognize his service.