PFAS Update XXX: News on PFAS and Emerging Contaminants from Around the U.S.
As SGS joins the rest of the globe in navigating the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and providing services related to both cleaning verification for buildings and ships, and indoor air testing for the virus, the health and safety of our clients, staff, families and communities is always our top priority. As we offer you news on PFAS and emerging contaminants, we wish you and yours the best of health.
The SGS PFAS Update has hit the big 3-0! In our 30th edition, we bring news on PFAS and emerging contaminants of national significance and from a record 16 states! For example, the state of Alaska is suing two PFAs manufacturers, Massachusetts has a new plan for testing private wells and public water supplies, Dayton, Ohio is considering suing a local air force base and the DoD, and the U.S. Congress is considering a bill to implement public-protecting regulations on PFAS. And there’s much more news, environmental professionals like you can use.
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The SGS PFAS Team
United States
The Big Reveal: Hundreds of Health Studies on Next Gen PFAS
Two years ago, a group of scientists from NRDC and The Endocrine Disruption Exchange began to wonder, “how much do we know about the health effects of PFAS beyond PFOA and PFOS?” Thus began the PFAS-Tox Database project—the building of an interactive database of all the publicly available health and toxicology studies published through May 2019, organized into 15 health outcome categories.
Reps. Dingell and Upton Announce New Legislation Regulating Harmful PFAS Substances
A bill to set deadlines for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement public-protecting regulations for the nonstick “forever chemicals” PFAS was reintroduced Tuesday by two Michigan members of Congress, Democrat Debbie Dingell and Republican Fred Upton.
US Rainwater Contains New and Phased Out PFAS
Rainwater collected in the Ohio-Indiana region contains both new and phased-out PFAS, according to research presented at the American Chemical Society Spring 2021 meeting in the Division of Environmental Chemistry.
EPA Advances Efforts to Address PFAS in Industrial Discharges
The EPA Office of Water published an advance notice of a proposed rule-making (ANPRM) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) that could lead to development of effluent limitations guidelines, pretreatment standards, and new source performance standards for PFAS manufacturers, formulators, and other industries being studied by EPA.
Industry Eyeing EPA’s Hustle to Control ‘Forever Chemicals’
Industry attorneys say they’re bracing for a wave of corporate liability and litigation as the Biden administration works swiftly to fulfill a campaign promise to control “forever chemicals.”
‘Buyer Beware’: Ads Hide PFAS Cookware Risks
Consumers trying to avoid toxic chemicals in their nonstick cookware face convoluted advertising claims that can confuse even the most well-informed buyers.
Can Microbes Save Us from PFAS?
For three decades starting in the 1940s, General Electric dumped solvents from its manufacturing facilities into New York’s Hudson River, contaminating it with PCBs. Scientists worried about how best to clean up the pollutants.
Alaska
Alaska Sues PFAS Makers as Lawmakers Seek Broader Action From Regulators
The state of Alaska is suing manufacturers of a pair of the toxic PFAS compounds that have contaminated groundwater across the state. The lawsuit filed Wednesday (4-7-2021) names chemical giants 3M, Dupont and others.
California
Latest California State Water Board Investigative Order for PFAS Targets Bulk Fuel Storage Terminals and Refineries
Last week, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) officially released an order (the Order) to investigate and sample for PFAS at over 160 bulk fuel storage terminals and refineries throughout California.
PFAS Water Lawsuits Expose Financial Impacts on State’s Poor Communities
Santa Clarita, a comfortable exurb of some 213,000 residents about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, is one of hundreds of California communities and districts grappling with the pricey problem of drinking water that’s been tainted by PFAS, chemicals that have been linked to cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility and increased risk of asthma and thyroid disease.
Colorado
Commerce City Plans To Sue Suncor For Allegedly Contaminating Drinking Water Supply
The attorney for Commerce City has sent a letter to Suncor notifying the oil refinery the city intends to file suit under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, alleging the facility may have polluted the city’s water supply with toxic “forever chemicals.” The city’s mayor says the lawsuit is mainly fueled by “hundreds” of complaints the city has received from concerned residents.
Florida
Marion County Seeks Federal Funds to Provide Lowell Area with Central Water
More than two years after several drinking water sources in Lowell, near the Florida State Fire College, tested for fire retardant compound levels above health advisory levels, the area is one step closer to accessing central water.
Illinois
UIC Researchers to Test New Groundwater Decontamination Technology
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago who have developed a reactive electrochemical membrane that can adsorb toxins and degrade them are now testing their technology in the field.
Maine
Leading Retailers Will No Longer Sell Fabric Protection Sprays That Contain PFAS
BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – Lowe’s has become the latest retailer to ban products that contain toxic chemicals known as PFAS.
Maryland
Belmont Residents Share Concern Over PFAS Remediation Plan
The residents of House Street in Belmont want PFAS out of their water supply.
Researchers Find Harmful ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Pesticide Used Against Mosquitoes in Maryland
Lab tests ordered by environmental groups found harmful chemicals, called PFAS, in a pesticide that Maryland uses for its mosquito control program, the groups said Thursday.
Massachusetts
UMass Amherst Partners with MassDEP to Undertake Testing for PFAs in Private Wells and Public Water Supplies
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) recently awarded a state grant for $1,072,791 to professor David Reckhow’s group in civil and environmental engineering to facilitate sampling of public water supplies to test if the water is contaminated with PFAS, and to test selected private water wells in 84 of the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns to characterize the levels of PFAS in the Commonwealth.
Wayland Considers 2 Ways to Fix PFAS Contamination
Wayland has detected elevated levels of a newly-recognized chemical contaminant in the town water supply, prompting officials to offer bottled water to schools and residents.
Littleton Water Department to Pause Water Mixing in April, Raising PFAS Levels
Residents received a notice earlier this month that PFAS levels may rise temporarily in their drinking water during the month of April.
Michigan
PFAS Foam Overwhelmed City’s Wastewater Plant On Its Way to Kalamazoo River
A toxic chemical that flowed into the city of Kalamazoo’s wastewater treatment plant was the highest concentration of the contaminant ever seen at the plant, Public Services Director James Baker said.
Whitmer Invokes Federal Law to Hold Military Site Cleanups to Highest PFAS Standards
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday that she is invoking a federal law to ensure the U.S. Air Force uses the strictest PFAS standards possible while cleaning up a contaminated air force base in northern Michigan, as well as all other contamination sites in the state caused by military activities.
Emmet County Continues Search for Answers on Airport PFAS Incident
PELLSTON — Emmet County and state officials are still looking for an answer to what caused the recent spill of PFAS-containing foam at the Pellston Regional Airport.
Minnesota
Bemidji Settles with 3M Over Water Treatment for ‘Forever Chemicals’
The city of Bemidji recently reached a settlement with 3M to help pay for treating contamination in the city’s water supply.
PFAS Contamination in Winona “Just Above” MDH Guidance, Additional Studies Recommended
A number of closed landfills across the state, including in Winona County, have been revealed to have an excessive amount of PFAS, surpassing the Minnesota Department of Health’s guidance values for drinking water.
New Mexico
Clovis Dairy Farmer Says He Lost Millions in Revenue Due to PFAS Contamination
Clovis dairy farmer Art Schaap first learned his water was contaminated with PFAS chemicals in October of 2018. Since then, Schaap said he has been forced to dump tens of millions of pounds of milk, losing millions of dollars in revenue.
North Carolina
Mystery Deepens Over Origin of Dangerous Chemicals Found at Massive Gasoline Spill
Mysterious discrepancies in test results between Colonial Pipeline and the NC Department of Environmental Quality have raised questions about the origin of PFAS found in material used at a major gasoline spill in Huntersville.
Ohio
City of Dayton Threatens to File Suit Over PFAS Problems
The city of Dayton is ready to sue Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Department of Defense over PFAS problems.
Pennsylvania
DEP Finds PFAS In One-Third Of Public Water Systems; None Exceeded EPA Limit
About one-third of 114 Pennsylvania water systems tested for toxic PFAS chemicals were found to contain the substances over 17 months of sampling, although none exceeded a federal health advisory level for two of the most common chemicals, the Department of Environmental Protection said.
Vermont
In Bennington, Water at 50 to 75 Properties Not Safe to Drink, State Study Finds
A state study reclassifying the water supply in parts of Bennington, North Bennington and Shaftsbury to “nonpotable” — unsuitable for drinking — has raised worries about the cost of upgrading wells and connecting to municipal water.
Wisconsin
PFAS Pose A Continued Threat To Water In Northeast Wisconsin
This week marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day. To bear witness to some of the environmental challenges and opportunities that Wisconsin faces, WUWM’s environmental reporter Susan Bence has put together an Earth Week series highlighting stories across the state — starting with PFAS.
Rigorous Investigation Tracks PFAS
MARINETTE—According to McGinty, the GETS and soil remediation proposals culminated from the thorough, long-term examination of the contamination area.
