The proposed legislation, which was unveiled on Tuesday, would set legal limits for the presence of six different types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are known to be present in drinking water.
According to EPA Administrator Michael S. Regans, the agency’s proposal to create a national standard for PFAS in drinking water is based on the best available research and would assist provide states with the direction they need to decide how to best protect their communities.
This move is a significant step toward protecting all of our communities from these harmful chemicals and has the potential to stop tens of thousands of PFAS-related illnesses.
Since the middle of the twentieth century, PFAS, a class of thousands of chemicals, has been extensively employed by the industry for a range of applications, including firefighting foam, nonstick cookware, and stain- or water-resistant textiles.
Since they are difficult for humans or the environment to break down, they have earned the moniker “forever chemicals.” They are found in the blood serum of the majority of persons examined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as in the drinking water of about 200 million Americans. This raises concerns because PFAS exposure has been related to a variety of health consequences, including cancer, immunosuppression, and developmental difficulties.
For more information, visit the website of the American Red Cross. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to get a hold of a copy of the book, but it’s been a while.
The proposed rule would control PFOS and PFOA as separate pollutants. The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for these substances in drinking water would be set at four parts per trillion, which is the threshold at which it is possible to measure them accurately.
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It would also regulate four more PFAS PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX Chemicals as a combination. This implies that hazard index calculations would be used by drinking water systems to identify whether a mixture containing one or more of these substances posed a risk.
In the event that the concentration of the chemicals exceeds the legal limitations, public water systems would then be required to reduce the concentration of the pollutants.
According to EPA, if properly enforced, the rule will avert tens of thousands of significant PFAS-related diseases and thousands of deaths.
Environmentalists Generally Hailed the Action.
According to activist and actor Mark Ruffalo, President Biden’s EPA has finally produced a drinking water regulation for PFOA and PFOS that, when it is approved, would be the strictest in the country. The Biden EPA is also putting our communities ahead of the polluters by recommending regulating four other PFAS as a combo.
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Naturally, the polluters weren’t as happy. American Chemical Council (ACC), a business organization, stated in a statement provided to EcoWatch that it supported efforts to regulate PFOS and PFOA, which all of its members had already phased out more than eight years prior. Nonetheless, it objected to the MCLs put forth by the EPA and its choice to rank many substances under a single index.
Although these low levels are expected to result in billions of dollars in compliance costs, the EPA’s erroneous approach to these MCLs is crucial, according to an ACC representative. It’s crucial that EPA gets the science right since the ideas have significant consequences for more general drinking water policy priorities and resources. We look forward to carefully reading these suggestions and providing EPA with comments along the way.
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On the Other Side, Environmental Activists Cautioned Against Industry Involvement in The Final Rule.
Strong national drinking water regulations cannot come soon enough for the millions of people who have PFAS in their tap water, said Earthjustice attorney Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz in a statement issued to Enviro360.
The suggestion made today is a crucial and long overdue step in tackling the PFAS situation in the country, but what happens next is equally crucial. The other PFAS that continue to contaminate drinking water supplies and hurt communities across the nation must also be addressed. EPA must rebuff attempts to compromise this proposal, and act swiftly to impose health-protective limitations on these six chemicals.
