Water utilities to be affected by EPA’s proposed PFAS regulations
(UI) – According to Bloomberg Law, water utilities across the nation expect the EPA to codify its 2022 health advisories that suggest PFAS substances are dangerous in drinking water.
In a news release, the EPA reported that a draft of the proposed rule is going through a review prorocess, with results being released in the “coming weeks.”
In 2022, the EPA issued a health advisory saying that all levels of PFAS substances in drinking water are dangerous. According to water attorney John Kindschuh, safe levels are “so low that most if not all public water systems can’t even detect it.”
The interim advisory levels of 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 0.02 ppt for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) dramatically tightened EPA’s 2016 advisory of 70 ppt for either compound or a combination of both.
Industrial sectors “push back”
Professionals in industries such as chemical, oil and gas, and automotive question the scientific evidence surrounding the health advisories. The concern stems from the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) allows more PFOA and PFOS in drinking water than the EPA’s recommendation.
The industry is concerned about what scientific evidence is being considered, especially because the World Health Organization issued draft guidance in 2022 that would allow more PFOA and PFOS in drinking water than the EPA has recommended, she said.
The WHO recommended a limit of 100 ppt of either PFOA or PFOS in drinking water and a total cap of 500 ppt for combinations of up to 30 PFAS.
This story was originally reported on by Bloomberg Law
Related News
From Archive
- Tunnel boring machine ‘Clack-A-Mole’ nears one-third completion in Oregon outfall project
- Lynchburg, Va., breaks ground on largest-ever Blackwater CSO tunnel project
- Texas A&M weighs underground transit plan with Elon Musk's Boring Co. to reduce campus traffic
- Wyo-Ben’s Max Gel, Max Bore HDD system boost drilling efficiency, performance
- Federal court halts permits for 32-mile Tennessee gas pipeline project
- Wisconsin proposes new PFAS drinking water standards to align with federal rules
- Elgin, Ill., joins EPA drinking water initiative to accelerate lead pipe replacement
- Dog River pipeline replacement in Oregon improves water supply with new HDPE pipe
- Leaking wastewater systems named top source of San Diego River contamination, study finds
- New Portable Welding System From Miller
Comments