Our Mission
The PFAS Alliance is a citizen-led organization dedicated to uniting all communities impacted by toxic contamination in their drinking water and amplifying our diverse voices to together hold accountable local, state, and federal decision-makers. We build power by educating, engaging, and mobilizing our neighbors to demand access to safe, clean water for all, and by arming them with information on the regulatory structure and scientific knowledge about dangerous PFAS chemicals.
About Us
The PFAS Alliance is a 501(c)3 organization created by impacted communities to serve impacted communities. We work to share information and resources and call for action to address this water contamination crisis.
Board of Directors
A.J. Birkbeck, Managing Director
With over thirty years of environmental experience, A. J. is a hydrogeologist and environmental attorney, with an MBA in corporate finance. Before co-founding the PFAS Alliance in 2019, he led remedial design and implementation efforts at large environmental cleanups and response actions across the country. His technical and legal background has been utilized by the Alliance to address the unique health and physical transport issues associated with PFAS contamination. He continues to inform communities about the complex legal, regulatory and political framework that must be navigated by community advocates. His ongoing interactions with regulators, industry, impacted citizens, and legislators are meant to focus on the very real needs of communities impacted by PFAS contamination.
Bob Delaney, Director
Robert Delaney co-authored the 2012 internal EGLE (formerly Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)) report titled Michigan’s Contamination Induced Human Health Crisis, Addressing Michigan’s Future by Facing the Challenge of the Evolving Nature of Environmental Contamination. The report was a warning to the EGLE leadership of the widespread contamination of the environment by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the dangers of human exposure to PFAS and other widespread contaminants in the environment. In the report, Mr. Delaney predicted the widespread contamination of Michigan’s drinking water and surface waters that are now being documented. He also laid out a road map for addressing the PFAS contamination crisis. Mr. Delaney has over 35 years of experience with the EGLE. He has provided regulatory oversight on the Department of Defense environmental restoration efforts at former and active bases in Michigan. He serves as the Defense and State Memorandum of Agreement Coordinator for the State of Michigan. Since 2010 he has served on numerous state and national technical work groups studying and providing guidance on PFAS contamination.
Rick Rediske, Director
Dr. Richard R. Rediske has a Ph.D. from University of Michigan in environmental health sciences and has over forty years of experience in environmental chemistry, toxicology, and remediation. He served as vice president of a large environmental engineering firm prior to joining the Annis Water Resources Institute as a professor of water resources and principal investigator. Dr. Rediske has over fifty peer-reviewed publications in the environmental sciences, has completed eight million dollars in grant-funded research projects, and worked on both national and international water projects. His involvement with PFAS started in 2014 with a citizen’s group that was concerned about a tannery in Rockford, MI. Dr. Rediske has provided technical information concerning the environmental and human health effects of PFAS to stakeholder groups, media outlets, and at Senate hearings. His technical background has been utilized by the PFAS Alliance to address the complex scientific issues associated with these toxic and persistent chemicals and convey them in an understandable format to concerned citizens and decision makers.