California Landfills and Airports Take Notice: The State Water Resources Control Board Has Issued an Order for PFAS Investigations that May Affect You!
As the federal government and many municipalities around the U.S. are gearing up to take action, the state of California is taking immediate action on PFAS in many landfills and airports that you may need to know about and act on! The California State Resources Water Control Board has issued a Water Code Section 13267 order for the determination of the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Here is a brief overview of the complex, demanding process that must be followed to comply with this order under penalty of law:
All California landfills and airports identified as facilities that have accepted, stored, or used materials that may contain PFAS substances must comply with the Board by responding to a detailed questionnaire regarding 39 PFAS analytes including PFOA and PFOS. Failure to comply with this order may subject violators to civil liability of up to $5,000 per day for each day that a violation occurs.
Those asked to comply are required to submit a work plan for a one-time preliminary site investigation of PFAS impacts at your facility within 60 days of the order that includes:
- Providing a site map with sample locations, PFAS material storage and use areas, and probable release areas.
- Identifying sensitive receptors such as municipal supply wells, domestic wells, and/or surface water bodies within a one-mile radius of a suspected source area.
- Proposing surface and subsurface soil sampling locations to delineate surficial and vertical extent of impacts where PFAS were applied to land.
- Suggesting representative groundwater sample locations in proximity to a suspected source area.
- Presenting a sampling and analysis plan for specified compounds and parameters.
- Showing reporting limits for PFAS.
- Furnishing the signature, stamp, and contact information for the California-licensed professional Geologist or professional engineer acting in your facility’s behalf.
After completing the above, a final sampling and analysis report, must be submitted no later than 90 days following the state or regional water board acceptance of your work plan that includes:
- A description of the sampling activities
- A summary table of analytical results
- Copies of:
- Chain of Custody
- the field sampling log
- boring logs and any temporary/permanent monitoring well construction details
- the site map showing the sampling/monitoring locations
- laboratory analytical results of the monitored media.
If you 1) have not discharged, disposed of, spilled, or released in any way, AFFF or other PFAS containing materials to land at your facility, or 2) have already conducted sampling that satisfies the specified minimum work plan requirements you still must complete a questionnaire no later than 30 days following the date of the order.
Turn to SGS
If you are a facility that might be inspected or a consultant relied on by your clients, you need the most reliable and comprehensive PFAS experts, and only one company has the capacity to help you comply with the California State Resources Water Control Board order for the determination of the presence of PFAS.
SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing, and certification company, is your one-stop for quality PFAS solutions. We are certified in California for all your PFAS needs and approved by the California State Resources Water Control Board to do PFAS analysis in California.
Additionally, we have a California service center and the support system to get samples to our labs performing PFAS analysis.
SGS is taking the lead on PFAS expertise, including total oxidizable precursors (TOP), and our scope, accuracy, capacity, monitoring proficiency, testing and data analysis are unmatched.
In North American three laboratories back each other up and we are certified to perform the following analyses and deliver the highest quality data on time at a competitive price:
- Our Orlando, FL laboratory currently analyzes various PFAS in drinking water, ground water, and soil/sediments by LC/MS/MS.
- Our Wilmington, NC laboratory analyzes PFAS in drinking water and ground water by LC/MS/MS.
- Our SGS AXYS laboratory in British Columbia, Canada analyzes PFAS compounds in almost any matrix, and is in the forefront of method development and specialty analysis pertaining to these compounds.
We support various matrices by EPA 537, EPA 537 modified with Isotope Dilution, and DOD QSM 5.1. As a matter of fact, our Orlando laboratory was recently certified for the latest DoD version of QSM 5.1!
Our extensive technical expertise is available for PFAS in drinking water, ground water, soils, sediments, tissue and serum. SGS is DOD accredited, NELAC accredited, with NELAC/ISO 17025 accreditation applicable in over 30 additional states.
Find more details on SGS PFAS capabilities here.
DON’T DELAY! When you get notified about your need to comply with the California State Resources Water Control Board order for the determination of the presence of PFAS, you have 60 days to comply. If you suspect yours or your client’s facility will be summoned or you’re in need of PFAS or all emerging containments advice or analysis, contact either of us at the contact information below or an SGS representative today at + 1 800 329-0204 or email ehs.clientcare@sgs.com.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Harry Behzadi, Ph.D
Environment, Health & Safety
VP Business Development North America
Geoffrey Pellechia
Environment, Health and Safety
National Sales Manager Ultratrace and PFAS