PFAS

EPA Announces First-Ever National Standard to Address PFAS in Drinking Water. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every community has ...

Department of Agriculture (USDA) led research on PFAS in ground water, wastewater, and livestock, and on farming practices to reduce risks of PFAS in food crops. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) crafted communication plans and PFAS guidance, and is expanding stakeholder engagement with a focus on mutual aid and interagency collaboration at facilities co-located with other agencies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested for PFAS in over 500 food samples and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitored more than 20 PFAS in marine mammals, fish, and shellfish along U.S. - Strengthening Policy and Limiting PFAS Procurement: The National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) worked on PFAS measurement in farm animals, corn silage, fish, spinach, eggs, and milk. DoD provided CDC ATSDR with $30 million over the last two years to study exposures and health risks from PFAS in drinking water in communities near former and current military bases. The Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are measuring blood PFAS in firefighters. The report summarizes current PFAS research in key strategic areas, including safe removal and destruction of PFAS and alternatives to PFAS that are safer, as well as gaps in PFAS data and knowledge. - Measuring and Monitoring PFAS: The Centers for Disease Control Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC ATSDR) completed the first multi-community blood PFAS assessment in over 2000 residents across 10 communities. Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, nearly two dozen Federal agencies and offices have made systematic and substantive progress to safeguard human health and protect the environment from PFAS over the first two years of the Biden-Harris Administration. Over the next year, OSTP will work with federal agencies to leverage this report as a roadmap for establishing goals and priorities for federal PFAS R&D, harness existing federal PFAS research activities, and accelerate transformative advancements in the destruction and disposal of PFAS, the development of PFAS alternatives, and in our understanding of the harmful effects of PFAS as a chemical class on human health and our environment. Today the Administration announced the first-ever national drinking water standard for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a major step to advance that commitment. Today the Administration also released two new reports outlining the latest science and progress on a government-wide plan to address and prevent PFAS contamination.

The government will strictly limit in drinking water two chemicals that are ubiquitous in modern society but are linked to a range of health effects.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia said in a statement she was “pleased a safe drinking water standard has finally been issued” for the chemicals. is now demonstrating,” he said, adding the plan will protect communities from exposure to chemicals that are known to be dangerous and hold polluters accountable. Industries would have to stop discharging the chemicals into waterways, and water utilities would have to test for the PFAS chemicals and remove them. The organization “is concerned about the overall cost drinking water utilities will incur to comply with this proposed rulemaking,” Mr. He added the group plans to issue formal comments “to help strengthen the rule and ensure decisions are made with the best available science while taking costs into account.” But Tom Dobbins, chief executive of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, which represents some of the largest public water utilities in the country, said the estimated cost for a single entity to filter out PFAS, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in North Carolina, was $43 million. “Regulating these six highly toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water is a historic start to protecting our families and communities,” said Anna Reade, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. Regan, the administrator of the E.P.A., said the government intends to require near-zero levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, part of a class of chemicals known as known as PFAS. “Over and over I see the same model play out,” Mr. “It’s a coziness that the industry has to power. The E.P.A. “This is the first time in U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to set limits on the amounts of six toxic “forever” chemicals found in drinking ...

[Stop adding to the PFAS problem](https://www.nrdc.org/experts/anna-reade/its-time-stop-unnecessary-use-harmful-chemicals)by immediately ending all non-essential uses of PFAS and quickly developing alternatives for currently unavoidable uses. Visit us at [www.nrdc.org](http://www.nrdc.org/) and follow us on Twitter @NRDC. [Natural Resources Defense Council](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=TeZUXWpUv-2B6TCY38pVLo9iRXEM4yZoKN0viLQTQUkjA-3DhqER_AGsB-2FN1-2BAJViqy2ms2jz6sHJl6DwUGh6atwMCdOxrl-2FHrdzF5XDjvSgQ-2FXTsfOVtm0G2im3xm81wcI9Y62JuWYc7oceaasFmYD-2Fo54RApFQGKcDZnTjOQQLFSsOtrcUoN-2Ftq2KISiMat5ISI5fRnCs-2FhpFu3ooKBkQH2Qa47CJIAAS9cM585X4Kuy9UXzDJsmojBUE8RoAObxW3BlNAu6uKiFrb2kwtDd32BjTOyMsoWZcv4qfz0MLWzAWn7ImKfGMhrSOmUBVyR-2F8SeS4JTEYEchD9li36iHAsXcKdKyNBQLQoUiI6U2XSoXxfSmcbE2ePB2YSb4L4FV2f8OD8ztQ-3D-3D__;!!NO21cQ!V3uItU9iuErqdc-6ISj3-5h7qyZjvw1OtF0qXebnM65QAQDsIffOBEjEYc0W$)) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. We now need every office within the EPA and all other federal agencies to use a whole of government approach to address PFAS as a class, stop all exposures at their source, make responsible parties pay for the clean-up, and give overexposed communities access to health monitoring.” - They should be required to halt further pollution, clean up the contamination they’ve already caused, and pay to treat PFAS-contaminated drinking water. In addition to setting strict standards for two legacy toxic forever chemicals, EPA is proposing an innovative first step toward addressing PFAS as a class in drinking water. The six chemicals are PFOA and PFOS (which will be regulated individually at 4 parts per trillion each) and PFBS, PFNA, PFHxS, and GenX (which will be regulated as a mixture using a “hazard index” approach). Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to set limits on the amounts of six toxic “forever” chemicals found in drinking water. We applaud the Biden EPA for having the courage to do what multiple administrations could not. Today is a good step towards tackling our nation's massive PFAS public health crisis by including commercially relevant PFAS like GenX. These six chemicals are part of a larger class of chemicals called PFAS, infamous for their extreme persistence, widespread pollution and potential to cause health and environmental harm at astonishingly low levels. Once finalized, this would mark the first time in 26 years that the EPA has regulated a new drinking water contaminant on its own initiative; all other EPA standards were issued after Congress ordered the agency to act.

The standards would force states to begin the arduous process of cleaning out 'forever chemicals' from their water supplies.

The cost of ridding the nation’s water supplies of PFAS could be in the [hundreds of billions of dollars](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/13/the-battle-over-who-pays-to-clean-up-chemicals-00056136#:~:text=Many%20of%20the%20lawsuits%20don,costs%20could%20exceed%20%24400%20billion.). [force the company to pay for the cost of cleanup](https://www.smh.com.au/national/58-billion-day-of-reckoning-looms-for-3m-over-toxic-forever-chemicals-20230203-p5chri.html). [successfully sued DuPont](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html) in 1999 for poisoning communities in West Virginia with the forever chemical PFOA, said in a statement provided to Grist. with forever chemicals in their blood (that is, virtually all of us). The agency is now soliciting feedback from the public on the proposed rule and aims to finalize it by the end of the year. [70 parts per trillion](http://hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/stricter-federal-guidelines-on-forever-chemicals-in-drinking-water-pose-challenges/) as a maximum level for those types of PFAS in drinking water. The proposed limits would cap two common types of PFAS contamination — the chemicals PFOA and PFOS — in drinking water at just 4 parts per trillion. While their water-resistant properties are convenient, the chemicals have been linked to adverse health effects in humans, such as compromised immune systems, thyroid disorders, and kidney and testicular cancers, among other issues. The federal rule would supersede any state limits that clock in above 4 parts per trillion. [proposed standards](https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas) for cancer-causing “forever chemicals” in drinking water on Tuesday. [which knew in the 1970s](https://theintercept.com/2018/07/31/3m-pfas-minnesota-pfoa-pfos/) that PFAS were building up in Americans’ bloodstreams and that the chemicals could have serious health consequences in humans, manufactured PFAS for decades without alerting the public to the potential consequences. This marks the first time the EPA has proposed enforceable drinking water limits for PFAS, which are commonly known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down over time and can remain in the environment for years on end.

EPA's proposal would regulate six widely used chemicals within the class of thousands of PFAS. Contacts. Zahra Ahmad, [email protected], (517)898-0924.

“The EPA delivered what no previous administration has done by taking an immense first step in addressing our nation’s PFAS contamination in drinking water crisis,” said Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water Co-Founder Laurene Allen. Let’s continue our advocacy throughout the process of this initiative and give it the teeth it needs to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.” In 2022, EPA issued health advisories finding [serious risks from “any detectable level of PFOA or PFOS” in drinking water](https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-06/interim-pfoa-2022.pdf), with the most significant risks to young children. EPA must resist efforts to weaken this proposal, move quickly to finalize health-protective limits on these six chemicals, and address the remaining PFAS that continue to poison drinking water supplies and harm communities across the country.” “EPA is proposing to regulate six PFAS chemicals in our drinking water, including PFOA and PFOS, and will consider cumulative risk impacts of multiple mixtures of the toxic chemicals. This proposal would reduce people’s exposure to serious health risks and prevent thousands of premature deaths.

The EPA on Tuesday proposed the first national limits on the amount of two PFAS that could be in drinking water and a strategy that drinking water utilities ...

Communities such as mine who see the impacts of PFAS are grateful that our exposure has been acknowledged as harmful and our states will have the right regulatory guidance.” Water utilities would compare the amount of each of the four PFAS in their drinking water systems with EPA’s hazard-based limits. But 4 ppt is the lowest concentration that laboratories can reliably measure for PFOA and PFOS, the EPA said. “The EPA delivered what no previous administration has done by taking an immense first step in addressing our nation’s PFAS contamination in drinking water crisis,” said Laurene Allen, from New Hampshire’s Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water. PFOA and PFOS are likely to cause cancer, the EPA said. In this case the EPA describes the MCL as a hazard index greater than 1, meaning it estimates that amount of the chemicals is too much for people to drink.

The EPA today announced its proposed maximum contaminant levels -- MCLs-- for six types of toxic PFAS in drinking water.

Essentially the EPA concluded that no amount of PFAS in drinking water was safe. MCLGs, are they’re known, are voluntary and non-enforceable, but signal to the public that this is the level at which no negative health effects are expected. “We welcome the strong drinking water standards proposed by EPA. [announced the more stringent lifetime health advisory goals](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-new-drinking-water-health-advisories-pfas-chemicals-1-billion-bipartisan) at the national PFAS conference in Wilmington. For the PFOA and PFAS, the agency set an additional MCL goal of 0 ppt. This is truly unprecedented and likely to be the most expensive environmental hazard in history. If the rules are finalized, public utilities will face a herculean and expensive task of installing advanced treatment systems to reduce the compounds from treated water. Contaminated membranes must be disposed of in special landfills. Some of this funding would be available through the federal infrastructure plan. The most common advanced systems for public utilities include reverse osmosis and granular activated carbon. Today is a good step towards tackling our nation’s massive PFAS public health crisis by including commercially relevant PFAS like GenX. If the rules are finalized as written, public utilities would be required to monitor for the six types of PFAS, notify the public of the levels, and reduce the concentrations in drinking water.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, are a category of thousands of manufactured chemicals, defined by their bonds between carbon and fluorine ...

[Texas A&M AgriLife develops new bioremediation material to clean up ‘forever chemicals’](https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2022/07/28/pfas-bioremediation-material-developed-by-texas-am-agrilife/): learn about PFAS bioremediation research by Dai. [EPA study](https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-01/11143_ELG%20Plan%2015_508.pdf#page=48), landfills and waste disposal sites have some of the highest levels of PFAS. It was previously thought that short-chain PFAS moved through the body faster than long-chain PFAS, but recent studies have revealed that short-chain PFAS can more easily build up and stay in our bodies. Military bases and airports also tend to be places with higher PFAS levels, due to their use of fire-extinguishing foam. PFAS are highly heat resistant and repel both water and oil. “People are concerned not only about their water, but also about local crops and animals that are produced by using that same water and become part of our food supply.” While scientists have known of PFAS since the 1940s, there are still many unknowns about them and their long-term effects on people and the environment. However, in recent years, more research has revealed that PFAS are found in our air, water, soil and food. [Pervasive Problem](https://twri.tamu.edu/publications/txh2o/2020/winter-2020/pervasive-problem/): Texas A&M researchers discussed PFAS and water in the Winter 2020 issue of txH2O magazine. [Yina Liu, Ph.D.](https://ocean.tamu.edu/people/profiles/faculty/liuyina.html), [professor of oceanography](https://ocean.tamu.edu/) at [Texas A&M University](https://www.tamu.edu/) and [Texas Water Resources Institute](https://twri.tamu.edu/), TWRI, Faculty Fellow, study PFAS in the environment, wildlife and food products. [Xingmao “Samuel” Ma](https://engineering.tamu.edu/civil/profiles/ma-xingmao-samuel.html), Ph.D., associate professor in the [Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering](https://engineering.tamu.edu/civil/index.html) at Texas A&M and TWRI Faculty Fellow. [Susie Dai, Ph.D.](https://plantpathology.tamu.edu/people/dai-susie/), associate professor in the [Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology](https://plantpathology.tamu.edu/) at Texas A&M’s [College of Agriculture and Life Sciences](https://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/).

EPA News Release: Biden-Harris Administration Proposes First-Ever National Standard to Protect Communities from PFAS in Drinking Water.

“I have long supported the implementation of a national drinking water standard to ensure that the water in our communities is clean and safe for consumption,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Congressional PFAS Taskforce. “This has long been a top concern for me and is why as a lead negotiator of the water provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure bill, I fought to include a historic level of funding – $10 billion – to combat PFAS exposure. And EPA is committed to taking broader actions to help reduce Americans’ exposure to PFAS, including: In November 2022, EPA released “ [A Year of Progress Under EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap](/system/files/documents/2022-11/PFAS%20Roadmap%20Progress%20Report_final_Nov%2017.pdf),” which underscores key actions taken by the agency during the first year of implementing the PFAS Roadmap. In February 2023, EPA announced the availability of $2 billion from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS, in drinking water across the country. EPA requests input on the proposal from all stakeholders, including the public, water system managers, and public health professionals. My message to communities devastated by PFAS pollution is equally simple: help is finally on the way.” For these PFAS, water systems would use an established approach called a hazard index calculation, defined in the proposed rule, to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS pose a potential risk. It will also require systems to notify the public and reduce PFAS contamination if levels exceed the proposed regulatory standards. This action has the potential to prevent tens of thousands of PFAS-related illnesses and marks a major step toward safeguarding all our communities from these dangerous contaminants.” “EPA’s proposal to establish a national standard for PFAS in drinking water is informed by the best available science, and would help provide states with the guidance they need to make decisions that best protect their communities. [under President Biden’s plan to combat PFAS pollution](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/14/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-takes-new-action-to-protect-communities-from-pfas-pollution/)and Administrator Regan’s [PFAS Strategic Roadmap](/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024).

PFAS is a toxic group of compounds that are widespread, dangerous to human health, and expensive to remove from water.

The EPA recently made $2 billion available to states to get rid of contaminants such as PFAS and will release billions more in coming years. The AP is solely responsible for all content. The proposal would also regulate other types of PFAS like GenX Chemicals, which manufacturers used as a substitute when PFOA and PFOS were phased out of consumer products. Until now, only a handful of states have issued PFAS regulations, and none has set limits as strict as what the EPA is proposing. If the rules are finalized and imposed, many communities will learn they have been supplying drinking water with harmful compounds. Fox called the federal proposal a “transformational change” for improving the safety of drinking water in the United States. The agency said its proposal will protect everyone, including vulnerable communities, and reduce illness on a massive scale. The agency says drinking water is a significant source of PFAS exposure for people. “This is a really historic moment,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group. Environmental and public health advocates have called for federal regulation of PFAS chemicals for years. Water providers will have to monitor for PFAS. Water providers will have time to adjust.

I look forward to continuing to work with the EPA to make sure we're addressing all harmful PFAS chemicals, and appreciate this significant action to address ...

Dingell encourages all communities impacted by PFAS to submit feedback to the EPA during the public comment period. The EPA is requesting public comment on the proposed regulation. With this proposed standard, the EPA is demonstrating their commitment to protecting Americans from the growing and urgent public health threat of PFAS.

The EPA is proposing strict new limits on PFAS in drinking water. Consumer Reports' tests suggest many Americans' drinking water night have PFAS above the ...

In 2020, CR tested samples from a representative mix of 120 water systems across the U.S. In Consumer Reports’ [tests two years ago of 120 drinking water samples across the country](https://www.consumerreports.org/water-quality/how-safe-is-our-drinking-water-a0101771201/), the highest levels came from a church in North Carolina. “But we also knew then that eventually reality would kick in, and that the limits would not be 0.004. If the new proposed limits were law back then, 27 water systems, or over 22 percent, would have exceeded them. Last summer, the agency proposed designating PFOA and PFOS as Regan announced the proposal today in Wilmington, N.C., an

Federal regulators want to limit two PFAS compounds to no more than 4 parts per trillion · That's the lowest amount existing technology can detect · Four other ...

“EGLE was deprived of rule-making authority, and we need to restore that, so the state can act quickly,” McGillivray said. Christy McGillivray, political and legislative director for Sierra Club Michigan, urged Michigan to strengthen Michigan’s PFAS rules without waiting for the EPA to act. Michigan also sets individual limits for the four PFAS compounds that EPA wants to regulate cumulatively. “But it's also what makes them particularly harmful to people in the environment.” Frustrated with the federal inaction as Michigan endured a PFAS contamination crisis, state officials in 2020 enacted their own drinking water standards. “It is too soon to say at this point what this means for Michigan’s standards,” EGLE spokesperson Hugh McDiarmid Jr. The compounds also entered the tissue of fish and wildlife, prompting [ “do not eat” advisories](https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/pfas-fish-and-wildlife-researchers-prowl-michigan-clues) that have upended Michigan’s hunting and fishing traditions. A hazard index of 1.0 would indicate health risks, requiring utilities to limit the chemicals. “The industry has been saying ‘trust us, it’s safe,’’ Spaniola said of GenX. You better be asking the contaminators to pay for it.” Chemical manufacturers knew about the risks associated with PFAS compounds decades ago, but shielded those findings from the public. That’s the lowest amount modern technology can detect, but EPA officials say there is no safe level in drinking water.

Regulations proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency will drastically cut levels of potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS in the nation's ...

The 2022 National Academies report set “nanogram” levels of concern and encouraged clinicians to conduct blood tests on patients who are worried about exposure or who are at high risk. “It would be about 25 years before all the PFAS leave your body.” The chemicals are also used to make carpeting, clothing, furniture, and food packaging resistant to stains, water and grease damage. Drinking water is not the only way PFAS enters the bloodstream. “The most important thing is to ensure the testing method can detect down to at least four parts per trillion or lower of PFAS,” he said. “The important part is that you have to keep changing those filters,” he said. “The cost is relatively comparable over their lifetime.” “The EPA action is a really important and historic step forward,” Benesh said. Another four chemicals — PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX — will be subject to a hazard index calculation to determine whether the levels of these PFAS pose a potential risk. Under the proposed rule, public systems that provide water to at least 15 service connections or 25 people will have three years to implement testing procedures, begin notifying the public about PFAS levels, and reduce levels if above the new standard, the EPA said. “While the proposed regulations only address a few PFAS, they are important marker chemicals. A number of PFAS have been linked to

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan released the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) announcement that it will propose ...

Additionally, Senator Hassan has introduced legislation to ban PFAS chemicals in food containers and joined in introducing a bill banning the inclusion of PFAS chemicals in [cosmetics products](https://www.hassan.senate.gov/news/press-releases/shaheen-and-hassan-help-introduce-bill-to-ban-pfas-chemicals-in-cosmetics-), such as makeup, moisturizer and perfume. [secure a provision in the legislation](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.hassan.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-hassan-joins-white-house-signing-ceremony-for-bipartisan-infrastructure-package__;!!Bg5easoyC-OII2vlEqY8mTBrtW-N4OJKAQ!Y59TJ_PIpiYSUD58o5lo9KvR36_8a2CPYyehtmqBft0z-FaE9nYWwUQ3Sz96wQcxUzL4-ds$) to better ensure that New Hampshire towns would be eligible for an advanced technology grant program that could be used to remove PFAS from drinking water. “Granite Staters know all too well the dangers of PFAS chemicals, which is why I’ve pushed the administration and my colleagues in Congress to help communities make real progress in addressing hazardous PFAS contamination.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed its first national drinking water standards for six of the thousands ...

Lauren Hierl, Executive Director of Vermont Conservation Voters noted, “Every Vermonter deserves safe and clean drinking water, and we applaud the EPA for this long overdue but important proposal to regulate six harmful PFAS chemicals. To protect public health and the environment, Vermont has taken steps to stop importing more PFAS chemicals and PFAS-containing products to prevent exposure and environmental contamination. EPA and the state of Vermont need to take steps to address the entire class of PFAS chemicals.” “Among all states, Vermont has been at the forefront of identifying and addressing this toxic threat. For example, the town of Hinesburg is now wrestling with how to address PFAS contamination in well water recently discovered downstream of a closed landfill. Vermont Business Magazine Today, the federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed its first national drinking water standards for six of the thousands of PFAS chemicals.

The EPA proposed new regulations for PFAS and PFOA in the nation's drinking water. The chemicals are part of a class of so-called forever chemicals ...

And for other people, it's in the air and the dust in their home. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. And many would like to see the polluters, the industries that use these chemicals, to pay for some of it. They'd like to see regulations that cover all types of PFAS and limit them at the source. And the reality is this is going to be expensive. Two are PFOA and PFOS, which are two of the most prevalent and well-studied. The EPA proposed new regulations for PFAS and PFOA in the nation's drinking water. One expert that I spoke to called the proposed drinking water regulations a really good start but said it's just the tip of the iceberg. The group points out that these chemicals are critical to things like renewable energy and medical devices. For some, drinking water is their primary exposure, but for others, it's their diet. And so they're used in tons of different consumer products. The problem is that the PFAS chemicals that have been studied are linked to a bunch of health concerns.

The EPA's new limits on hazardous “forever chemicals” could mean cleaner drinking water. But some residents may see higher utility bills.

[ build a new facility](https://www.wpr.org/wausau-water-treatment-plant-removes-pfas#:~:text=The%20discovery%20came%20as%20the%20city%20had%20already%20launched%20plans%20for%20a%20new%20water%20treatment%20plant%2C%20and%20officials%20worked%20to%20revise%20designs%20for%20the%20new%20plant%20to%20include%20PFAS%20filtration.) when PFAS were discovered in all six of the city’s wells. Many laboratories can [test](https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/PFAS/Labs.html) water for PFAS for a fee. Register to attend or speak [here](https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas). “The EPA’s misguided approach to these MCLs is important, as these low limits will likely result in billions of dollars in compliance costs.” [ www.regulations.gov](https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0114), and the final regulation could differ based on that feedback. In February 2022, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board approved a drinking water standard of 70 ppt for PFOA and PFOS individually and combined, well above the EPA’s draft regulation. Wisconsin is among a host of states [suing the 3M Company, DuPont and other manufacturers](https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EversKaul_PFAS-Summons-and-Complaint.pdf) of PFAS-containing materials, alleging that they failed to alert the public of the risks. “In general, water utilities prefer to have clear standards,” said Lawrie Kobza, a Wisconsin lobbyist for the Municipal Environmental Group — Water Division. Those include 148,000-plus public water systems in the United States that provide drinking water to 90% of residents. The 1.7 million Wisconsinites who use them, roughly one-third of residents, bear responsibility for testing and treating their own water for PFAS or other contaminants. Sign up for our [newsletter](https://www.wisconsinwatch.org/subscribe) to get our news straight to your inbox. That equates to about 4 drops and 20 drops of water in 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, suggesting that virtually no amount of PFAS is safe for consumption.

The Environmental Protection Agency's proposal Tuesday to regulate "forever chemicals" in drinking water could pose steep cleanup costs for public water ...

Seattle already has tested for contamination in the Tolt and Cedar watersheds that are the primary supplies of drinking water and have not detected PFAS. providers of public drinking water have sued manufacturers, distributors and in some cases the Defense Department in federal court seeking compensation for the costs of PFAS removal. This would include providing alternate water sources and conducting additional sampling of wells, when necessary, the statement said. A survey completed in 2000 indicated the two chemicals — PFOA and PFOS — were present in the blood of 98% of the U.S. The EPA’s proposed rules do not require removal of contamination from private wells. The EPA rule has been released amid a growing legal battle over the costs of the cleanup. Yet in an advisory released last year, the EPA found that there could be risks from these chemicals at levels far below 1 part per trillion. Since first brought to market in the 1950s, they have been used in hundreds of different manufacturing and industrial processes. Vancouver, the state’s fourth largest city, has detected low levels of PFAS in many wells, and is expected to face one of the most expensive compliance challenges. Some utilities have wells where PFAS was detected at low enough level that the water could be blended with other clean sources, and then meet the proposed limits. Washington state expects to receive some $17 million annually through 2026 to help public water systems comply with the proposed EPA limits. And when people routinely consume water contaminated with PFAS, the level in their blood may rise a lot higher.

The EPA announced on Tuesday its proposed maximum contaminant levels — MCLs — for six types of toxic PFAS in drinking water and acknowledged that no amount ...

The EPA announced on Tuesday its proposed maximum contaminant levels — MCLs — for six types of toxic PFAS in drinking water and acknowledged that no amount of these compounds is safe. Essentially the EPA concluded that no amount of PFAS in drinking water was safe. MCLGs, are they’re known, are voluntary and non-enforceable, but signal to the public that this is the level at which no negative health effects are expected. This is truly unprecedented and likely to be the most expensive environmental hazard in history. If the rules are finalized, public utilities will face a herculean and expensive task of installing advanced treatment systems to reduce the compounds from treated water. The park, seen in February, is at the edge of Lake Spenard.

The government is at last cracking down on PFAS "forever chemicals" coming out of your tap.

[strategic roadmap](https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024)” to restrict the use of PFAS and hold polluters accountable—at last putting the chemicals in the federal government’s crosshairs. The four other PFAS the EPA targeted are known as PFNA (with an MCL of 10 ppt), PFHxS (9 ppt), PFBS (2,000 ppt), and FHPO-DA (10 ppt). Until the EPA rule is fully in effect, consumers willing to incur some expense can jump out ahead of the government and at least partly control the PFAS coming out of their own faucets. 15, 2021, [the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684) became law, including $9 billion earmarked for the EPA to deal with emerging contaminants, including PFAS. While EPA action against PFAS in the water supply has long been lobbied for by advocacy groups, it took until recently before both the political will and wallet came together to make the action possible. [announcing a new proposed regulation](https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas) to eliminate six of the most common and dangerous PFAS from the national water supply. The two most common and dangerous are known as PFOA and PFOS, both of which have been linked to the development of cancer. But both types of PFAS linger in the environment—in soil near manufacturing plants, in durable products manufactured before the bans, in groundwater, and in wells. Also known as “forever chemicals”—because that’s pretty much how long they linger in the environment—exposure to these ubiquitous manufacturing chemicals have been [linked](https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas#:~:text=What%20We%20Know%20about%20Health,blood%20pressure%20in%20pregnant%20women) by the U.S. For these reasons, the EPA made PFOA and PFOS the first two PFAS on their new hit list, setting their maximum contaminant level (MCL) in the water supply at four parts per trillion (ppt). Filter out one of the bad guys, and you likely nab the other three as well. [estimated 200 million Americans](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00713), every time you turn on the tap, a host of contaminants come out with the water.

This story was originally published by Wisconsin Watch. A new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposal issued March 14 would tighten limits on toxic ...

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