Philly firefighters battle workplace cancers | Morning Newsletter
And the victims of the Bucks County flooding are identified
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Today should be mostly sunny, but look out for possible thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Firefighters have long been exposed to carcinogens, whether they’re battling house fires or a catastrophic refinery explosion. From Philadelphia to Chicago to San Francisco, cancer is a leading cause of death for firefighters.
But firefighters are now increasingly more worried about a quieter threat: “forever chemicals” known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) found in their protective gear. The equipment designed to keep them safe might actually be harming them.
Our lead story explores why departments are still using the gear.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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“Forever chemicals” have been in firefighters’ protective gear for more than two decades.
In March, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), a union with 334,000 members in the U.S. and Canada, sued the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an international fire codes organization that sets standards for firefighting equipment and training.
The union claimed the organization ignored scientific evidence and downplayed the chemicals’ health hazards. The NFPA called the lawsuit “misguided and ill-informed.”
Notable quote: “None of us were told that any of these chemicals are being applied to our gear, especially the volumes that they were, or that they are associated with cancers and other health risks,” said Neil McMillan, IAFF’s director of science and research, and a former firefighter who was diagnosed with malignant melanoma at the age of 37.
Mike Bresnan, the president of Philadelphia’s IAFF Local 22, said the number of local firefighters who die from cancer is climbing. But the challenge is deciphering how many of those deaths are linked to the “forever chemicals.”
Keep reading to find out why these chemicals are in the gear, and why it’s a battle to get rid of them.
The intensive search continued on Monday for 2-year-old Matilda Sheils and her 9-month-old brother, Conrad, in the wake of one of the region’s deadliest weather events on record.
Powerful thunderstorms set off intense flash floods in Bucks County Saturday night, killing at least five people. The children’s mother, Katheryn Seley, is one of the at least five people who died. The children’s father survived.
All five of the known dead had drowned.
Three of the victims identified Monday — Enzo Depiero, 78, of Newtown Township; Susan Barnhart, 53, of Titusville, N.J.; and Katheryn Seley, a 32-year-old from Charleston, S.C. — were found Saturday.
The bodies of Yuko Love, 64, and Linda Depiero, 74, both of Newtown Township, were recovered Sunday.
Rescue workers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey will join the search for the missing children on Tuesday.
Keep reading to understand how a warming climate contributed to the flooding downpours.
What you should know today
Fifteen cars of a westbound CSX freight train derailed early Monday morning in Whitemarsh Township. It prompted the evacuation of 12 homes and road closures. It also spilled a huge pile of plastic pellets, but there were no toxic releases and no injuries.
Abington’s police chief blamed Philly for a crime. It’s the second time a neighboring town has done this so far this month.
The sinkhole that shut down parts of Route 202 near the King of Prussia Mall last week has reopened. A portion of the the highway is now closed indefinitely as engineers assess the damage and plan repairs.
Contrary to social media reports, Philadelphia Police said there was no ATV mayhem Sunday evening.
President Joe Biden will be back in Philly on Thursday, less than a month since his last visit. We take a look at all the times he came to town since taking office.
You’ll need a little more patience lately if you’re looking to book a trip. Getting a new passport can take as long as 13 weeks.
Restaurant critic and columnist Craig LaBan sees potential in Pearl & Mary and believes it can carry on Philly’s oyster bar tradition, but, he says, the menu needs more consistency.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
How many acres is FDR Park?
A) 350
B) 320
C) 348
D) 248
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🍿Debating: What order people should see Barbie and Oppenheimer when the two films premiere on Wednesday.
🌳 Planning: A trip to the Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park. It was recently named one of the best in the country by Food & Wine.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Hint: No more giant game pieces
ALANAH MATZO PEPSI
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Cheers to Heloise Jettison, who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: Steel Pier.
Photo of the day
And that should be enough to get your Tuesday started. I’m off to get my first cup of coffee of the morning. I’ll be in your inbox tomorrow. 📧