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EPA announces nationwide action plan to address PFAS water contamination

Feb 14, 2019, 10:30 AM by User Not Found
The EPA set in motion establishing a maximum contaminant level for two of the most well-known chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, by the end of 2019.

Andrew Wheeler, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s acting administrator, unveiled the agency’s PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) action plan to address growing concerns around tainted drinking water and groundwater nationwide during a news conference on February 14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In his address, Wheeler indicated the EPA will propose a regulatory determination, which is the next step in the Safe Drinking Water Act process, for establishing a federal maximum contaminant limit (MCL) for PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) by the end of 2019. Wheeler also said the agency would continue its enforcement actions, clarify remediation strategies, expand monitoring of PFAS in the environment, and enhance the research and science for addressing the contaminants by developing new analytical methods and tools. The EPA’s current health advisory level for PFAS is 70 parts per trillion.

NGWA applauds the EPA’s decision to move forward with the MCL process for PFOA and PFOS and urges the agency to rely on sound science to make the determination as promptly as is feasible. Moving toward establishing an MCL will provide the national certainty required to ensure effective cleanup at sites around the country.

“PFAS contamination is a national crisis that requires national leadership, and the EPA’s announcement is an important step in providing that leadership,” said Lauren Schapker, government affairs director at NGWA. “As the EPA begins implementation of the PFAS management plan, NGWA will continue to work with the agency to address the unique challenges facing rural areas and private well owners, and to ensure the technical and financial resources are made available to address the crisis.”

NGWA is also encouraged by the EPA’s announcement to set a federal MCL rather quickly as various state-level PFAS issues could be better addressed under the new federal action plan.

“Without a federal framework, states have struggled to enforce certain PFAS-related initiatives that are of growing concern in places like Michigan, and across the eastern and northeastern regions of the country,” said Seth Kellogg, PG, senior geologist at Geosyntec Consultants Inc. and NGWA Scientists and Engineers Section Board member.

“Currently, we have a system in place that works to remediate contamination sites and protect human health but doesn’t prevent the release of PFOA and PFOS contaminants. We’ll continue to work with the EPA to help prevent future contamination and to educate the public.”

Wheeler announced the EPA’s plan in Philadelphia because some 70,000 Philadelphia-area residents were among the first in the nation to discover they had been affected by contamination for decades. PFAS is a group of human-made chemicals that have been in use since the 1940s. The EPA says manufacturing and processing facilities, airports, and military installations that use firefighting foams are some of the main sources of the chemicals.

The announcement of the EPA’s action plan comes on the heels of several stories on PFAS making headlines across the country including the following.

  • New York Senator Chuck Schumer made the case on February 4 as to why Wheeler should commit to setting an MCL under the Safe Drinking Water Act for PFOA and PFOS. Schumer argued that in failing to set a federal standard, the federal government is both limiting the public’s knowledge about their possible exposure to these contaminants and hindering potential clean-up efforts.
  • Add Holloman Air Force Base in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the list of military bases and facilities throughout the country with groundwater contaminated by PFAS. In a statement on February 6, Holloman Air Force Base confirmed the chemicals came from firefighting foam, which it says stopped using in 2016.
  • Negotiations over PFAS contamination in western Michigan grow tense as Wolverine World Wide — the company responsible for dumping PFAS-polluted tannery waste in the area — refuses to pay for an expansion of the municipal water system by itself. The local government says it does not have adequate funding to pay for the expansion, but Wolverine says it won’t contribute unless its chemical supplier, 3M, also contributes to the funding.
  • Michigan Senator Gary Peters urged Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson on February 1 to cooperate with the state of Michigan on PFAS-decontamination efforts in the area surrounding the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Iosco County, Michigan.
  • Fourteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives announced on January 23 the creation of a bipartisan congressional PFAS task force, the purpose of which will be to highlight challenges resulting from PFAS contamination and increase attention on addressing these challenges.

PFAS has been on NGWA’s radar for several years and will remain a priority issue for the foreseeable future. The Association has created a Groundwater and PFAS resource center for NGWA members. The center includes PFAS FAQs, top 10 facts about PFAS, and a homeowner checklist, among other items. NGWA is also the publisher of the guidance document, Groundwater and PFAS: State of Knowledge and Practice.

As in 2018, NGWA is hosting educational events on PFAS this year as well:

A roundtable Q&A with industry experts on PFAS will be published in NGWA’s Water Well Journal® April issue, which focuses on water quality and water treatment. A video interview with Avram Frankel, PE, one of the experts interviewed in the Q&A, will be featured on the magazine’s website in April as well.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is a category of human-made chemicals that have been widely used in a variety of products and industries, such as firefighting foams, protective coatings, and surfactant applications among many other uses and products. This website section provides information on PFAS particularly oriented toward private wells and the water well industry to help you understand the sources and occurrence of PFAS in groundwater. If you are concerned about the possibility of PFAS in your drinking water and are served by a private well, both NGWA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommend testing your drinking water as well as reaching out to your local health department for information.

As an authority on groundwater in the United States, NGWA is a leader in the science of PFAS affecting this important natural resource. Directed by a standing task group dedicated to advancing the knowledge of this emerging topic, NGWA’s PFAS initiatives include hosting PFAS conferences focused on groundwater and publishing multiple products (technical guidance documents, white papers, fact sheets, position papers) related to PFAS, groundwater, and the water well industry.

The last several years have seen a flurry of wide-ranging legislation concerning PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from Capitol Hill and state legislatures. NGWA has been a key resource on not only providing the sound science to inform policymakers about these “forever chemicals,” but also providing solutions that our members’ expertise can provide to ensure our groundwater resources are safe and reliable. While we agree states have a right to manage and regulate PFAS based on their unique circumstances, we also feel the federal government must provide clearer and scientifically researched guidance on PFAS treatment and disposal. 

NGWA continues to advocate for:

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  • Supporting a bipartisan solution that creates a maximum contaminant level — or MCL — for PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) based on the best available science
  • Dedicating financial and technical resources to private well owners for testing and remediating PFAS
  • Properly funding PFAS programs and solutions to ensure our groundwater is safe and reliable
  • Advanced guidance from the EPA on the treatment and disposal of PFAS.

PFAS: Top 10 Facts

Download PFAS: Top 10 Facts. 

PFAS: The Truth About Water Wells position paper

NGWA published this position paper in 2022 that provides facts about PFAS and how water wells can still provide safe water because effective residential-scale PFAS treatment technologies are commercially available. It is ideal for sharing with local, state, and federal officials. Download the position paper.

Practical Guide for PFAS Sampling white paper

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The NGWA white paper, Practical Guide for PFAS Sampling, provides a practical guide to PFAS sample collection for those familiar with industry-standard environmental field sampling practices.

Groundwater professionals may be called on to sample for PFAS analysis and to interpret PFAS laboratory data. The presence of PFAS in many products, potentially including products commonly used in environmental field sampling efforts, should be considered when planning a PFAS sampling program, and this document provides a guide for such programs.

PFAS Fate and Transport 2021 white paper

NGWA’s white paper, PFAS Fate and Transport 2021, updates section four of the NGWA guidance document, Groundwater and PFAS: State of Knowledge and Practice, which was published in 2017.

Since the release of that guidance document, many studies have investigated PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) transformation, partitioning, and transport; for example, the influence of PFAS accumulation at media interfaces, such as the air-water-solid interfaces in the vadose zone.

This white paper picks up where that section of the guidance document left off by providing important updates.

PFAS risk communication

As a groundwater professional, you may need to inform a customer of the potential for PFAS contamination in their well water and subsequent actions to mitigate exposure. PFAS Risk Communication for Contractors is a two-page fact sheet to aid groundwater professionals in such communications. The document features common questions that may be asked and talking points that may be of assistance. 

PFAS and private well owners

PFAS and Private Well Owners: What You Need to Know is a two-page fact sheet that groundwater professionals can distribute to customers and others in their community concerned about PFAS. Written in easy-to-understand language by groundwater professionals, it explains what PFAS are, how to test wells for PFAS, treatment options, and more. 

NGWA guidance document

NGWA published Groundwater and PFAS: State of Knowledge and Practice, a guidance document on PFAS in 2017.

Created by 36 NGWA volunteers who spent 1100 hours on it over the course of 12 months, it is a comprehensive eight-part piece exploring the potentially hazardous, and widely discussed, compounds in groundwater and soil. NGWA published the document to identify the known science and knowledge related to PFAS; it summarizes the fate, transport, remediation, and treatment of PFAS, as well as current technologies, methods, and field procedures. 

Water and soil guidelines and regulations

Click here to be redirected to a website where the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) maintains fact sheets on PFAS along with Excel® spreadsheets that contain PFAS water and soil regulatory and guidance values by state and federal agencies.