Anju Singh
DemocraticQ1 PFAS chemicals are widely used in consumer products but have raised health concerns due to their persistence in the environment and humans, and some Pennsylvanian legislators are considering restrictions on its use, such as in House Bill 2145. Should Pennsylvania restrict PFAS in consumer products? What scientific evidence would you use to inform your decision?
Yes, Pennsylvania (and all other states/countries) should restrict PFAS in consumer products. The EPA provides resources to studies done that found a close association of PFAS with harmful health effects on humans like cancer, infertility, gestational hypertension, decreased immunity, developmental delays, etc.
In vitro and in vivo researches have found coorelations between PFAS exposure and oxidative stress effects in mammals and other vertebrates. According to a 2004 study by ChemRick Inc., the Dupont plant in Washington Works, West Virginia, which released large amounts of PFAO into the environment and water, found increased average PFAO blood concentration in the population near the plant compared to the national average. In another study a positve trend was seen for prostate and pancreatic cancer among workers in a Minnesota PFAO production plant. These observations led to the inference that there is an correlation between PFAO exposure and cancer.
KEYWORDS: PFAO, PFAS, cancer, forever chemicals,
Q2 Measles vaccination rates in Pennsylvania have declined in recent years, from 95.5% in 2020 to 92.5% in 2025. At the same time, measles outbreaks have emerged across the state, with 62 confirmed cases in PA in 2026. As a policymaker, how do you approach engaging with communities that have concerns that center on infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety, and what policies, if any, would you support related to these issues?
People’s concerns around vaccines are often based on misinformation or lack of education. Therefore public education and awarness on how vaccines work, why sometimes it may appear that they don’t work and transperancy around posible side effects will hopefully increase vaccination rates. Also, emphasising the importance of herd immunity to protect those who are not able get vaccinated due to other health conditions is important to communicate.
As a policy maker I would introduce, support, co-sponsor legislation that encourages vaccination and make access to health care affordable.
KEYWORDS: vaccine, measles, prevention, herd immunity
Q3 There have been avian influenza outbreaks in Pennsylvania, with potential impacts on poultry and dairy operations, both industries that provide billions of dollars of economic value to the state. What policies, if any, do you support to strengthen the state’s preparedness and outbreak response? Are there specific strategies you would prioritize to protect farm workers, agricultural communities, and the broader public?
As a policy maker, I would support, and co-sponsor legislature that invests in preventive measures, biosecurity, early detection, quarantine and treatment. To protect farm workers, agricultural communities and the public, I would outline best practices like use of PPE, sanitizing delivery vehicles, product movement protocol, guildline for farm access, etc.
KEYWORDS: avain flu, protect farms, biosecurity, poultry, dairy
Q4 Pennsylvania is the nation’s second-largest producer of natural gas and nuclear energy, as well as the third-largest producer of coal, per the Energy Information Administration. In contrast, PA currently ranks 45th in the country in terms of wind, solar, and hydropower energy production. How do you think these energy sources should be distributed across PA’s energy production portfolio, and what policies, if any, would you support to facilitate this?
In addition to PA being the second largest producer of natural gas and nuclear energy, as well as the third largest producer of coal, and ranking 45th in terms of wind, solar and hydropower energy production; PA is the fourth highest carbon-emitting state in the country.
PA also recently exited the RGGI, thus eliminating the Commonwealth’s primary climate policy. In addition, PA has numerous data centres being built which will add to the water, noise, and heat pollution while consuming large amounts of energy. Finally, the evergy demand is expected to grow over time while energy generation has been declining.
All this makes it critical for policy makers to be creative in finding incentives to generate clean energy. Modernizing fossil fuels to transition to co-located energy systems where gas plants pair with on-site solar and battery storage to ensure baseload relaibility. Nuclear energy provides zero-emission, very reliable baseload that compliments intermittent renewables. Expanding utility-scale solar arrays, wind and geo-thermal energy sources. Intergrating grid-enhancing technologies to manage large industrial and data-center loads, to avoid power bottlenecks.
KEYWORDS: renewable energy, solar power, geothermal, GRID, fossil fuel, nuclear energy, data center,
Q5 Pennsylvania has proposed more reporting, utility oversight, and zoning guidance for large data centers, along with shifting some generation, capacity, and reliability costs onto data center developers rather than ordinary ratepayers. How should the costs and benefits of large data center development be divided between developers and the public, and what requirements, if any, would you support on power, water, and public reporting before a project moves forward?
In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapario has set up some guard rails for data center development and I currently support his plan. The Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards establish best practices that data Centers must comply with to receive support from the Commonwealth. These standards are the benchmark for data center developers to demonstrate that they are doing right by Pennsylvania communities.
They focus on four key areas: Energy Affordability, Transparency and Community Engagement, Workforce and economic development and Environmental Protection. Data centers need to generate their own energy, preferable from renewable sources and provide evidence of community benefits, like job opportunities. They need to provide information about their water consumption and any chemicals added to their water, and finally if that water with any chemicals or pollutants in it will be emptied into the ground, or watershed.
Annual reports on energy, water, fire safety, community benefits must be available to the public.
KEYWORDS: GRID, Renewable energy, Data Centers, Artificail Intelligence,