We have no special ceremonies planned to celebrate this fortieth issue of the SGS PFAS Update. We are offering, however, a jampacked record of what is transpiring throughout North America in PFAS and emerging contaminant news, and for a short month, February was extremely active.
In this issue, you can catch up on the science of PFAS as studies ranging from predicting factors in groundwater to presence in textiles and pine needles are covered. Also, note the volume of news emanating from Maine, North Carolina and Wisconsin where PFAS detection, lawsuits and proposed legislation abound, as they do in the remaining states covered.
SGS is your one stop for the capacity, expertise, facilities, and track record needed to provide fast and accurate analysis on PFAS and emerging contaminants analysis. We’re always here to help.
Click on SGS PFAS/emerging contaminants analysis capabilities, and see why SGS delivers what you need every step of way.
To find out how we can best help you with your PFAS analysis, call +1 800 329 0204 or email PFAS.Expert@sgs.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
The SGS PFAS Team
United States
What Factors Predict PFAS Contamination in Groundwater?
An extensive analysis of water samples from wells across the eastern US links PFAS in groundwater to the presence of other chemicals and various land uses. The data could help create models to predict what regions are high risk for PFAS contamination.
Study Finds Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Most Stain- and Water-Resistant Textiles
Toxic “forever chemicals” can be found in a wide range of products we wear, sleep on, and eat our food from, according to a new report.
More PFAS Added to EPA Toxic Release Inventory
Four more PFAS substances were added to the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) list on January 24, 2022, as part of the Agency’s “comprehensive Strategic Roadmap to confront the human health and environmental risks of PFAS,” according to an EPA news release.
States Will Weigh More Than 210 Bills on Toxic “Forever Chemicals” in 2022
At least 32 states are considering laws that would ban or restrict PFAS, including their use in personal care products, clothing, and food packaging.
Colorado
Physician’s Group Sounds Alarm About Toxic Chemicals Being Used in Colorado
In Colorado oil and gas companies don’t have to disclose what chemicals they use in their fracking operations and a physician’s advocacy group says that’s a problem. Dusty Horwitt, a consultant with Physicians for Social Responsibility, says his group has found some wells in Colorado are using PFAS in their oil and gas extraction operations.
Hazardous “Forever Chemicals” Used in Colorado for Fracking, Report Says
Long-lasting chemicals with links to cancers and other ailments have been used in Colorado to frack oil and gas wells, a national health and environmental organization says in a new report.
Delaware
High Levels of Forever Chemicals’ Found in Those Near Base
Residents living near an Air National Guard base in northern Delaware have average blood levels of certain toxic manmade chemicals that are significantly higher than the national average, according to a report by federal researchers.
USGS Finds PFAS in Untreated Well Water Across Delaware
Contaminants known as PFAS were found to be widely distributed in untreated well water throughout Delaware, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Florida
Veteran Blames PFAS in Firefighting Foam for Terminal Cancer, Says Military ‘Lied to Us’
Military firefighters run toward dangerous situations, risking their lives in emergencies. But Spotlight on America has been reporting extensively on new concerns their job may have exposed them to a hazard the Defense Department never warned them about: firefighting foam made from a toxic set of chemicals with a known link to cancer.
Maine
Maine Farmers Could Face Financial Ruin Amid PFAS crisis
When Songbird Farms voluntarily ceased all sales and pulled its products from store shelves, April Turner started to worry. Turner’s small family homestead is just down the road from Songbird Farms in Unity, which last month tested positive for high levels of forever chemicals in its soil and water.
Maine Wants to Ban PFAS-Laden Sludge from Farmland
Maine lawmakers are weighing a proposal that would restrict the use of sludge on farms amid concerns that soil is becoming contaminated with “forever” chemicals.
Costs of Investigating PFAS Contamination is Rising ‘Exponentially’ in Maine
State environmental officials say the costs of investigating and addressing contamination with so-called “forever chemicals” are rising exponentially in Maine and could reach tens of millions of dollars a year.
Fairfield Looks to Expand Public Water System to Homes with Wells Contaminated by PFAS
The town of Fairfield is looking to expand the public water system to homeowners whose wells have been contaminated with forever chemicals.
Maryland
Professional Firefighters Enter PFAS Fight
Maryland’s professional firefighters joined the effort Tuesday to ban a class of chemicals known as PFAS in the state.
Massachusetts
State Offering Free Testing for PFAS In Well-Dependent Towns, Including Berlin And Bolton
MassDEP is offering private well owners an opportunity to receive free testing for PFAS compounds in communities where 60% or more of the consumers use private wells.
Michigan
PFAS Detected in Groundwater Near Houghton County Airport
A PFAS investigation is being conducted at the Houghton County Airport. The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) conducted sampling which detected PFAS compounds in shallow groundwater near the airport. In response to this detection, representatives from the Western UP Health Department (WUPHD) participated in the sampling of the area residential drinking water wells within a one‐mile radius of the airport. Twenty‐one residents gave access to sampling their water wells.
New York
Tests Show PFOS Levels in Columbia County are Above State Limit
The Columbia County Health Department says water supplies for the village of Valatie and New Lebanon High School have tested at PFOS levels above New York state’s maximum contaminant level. The county says a village well tested at a level of 14 parts per trillion, while the school’s was 13.
North Carolina
Pine Needles Tell the Story of PFAS in North Carolina
The humble pine tree is more than just a common sight in North Carolina—it’s also a handy tool for monitoring the proliferation of PFAS in our state over time.
The Military is Looking for PFAS Pollution at N.C. Bases, but Cleaning It Up will Take Decades
The Department of Defense is testing hundreds of military sites around the country, including dozens in North Carolina, for contamination from chemicals known by the acronym PFAS. The chemicals are used in a host of products and often called “forever chemicals” because they don’t fully break down in the environment. Some have been linked with health problems including cancer.
Chemours Expands PFAS, GenX Testing to Wilmington. What We Know:
Chemours is expanding its private well sampling program to the lower Cape Fear region and has released plans of what that will look like for residents.
North Carolina Middle School Students Test for PFAS
What do homeowners, small businesses, regulators, fortune 500 companies, and two Wilmington, NC 7th graders have in common? They are all concerned about PFAS.
NC Environmental Groups Resume Lawsuit Against US EPA Over Ongoing GenX Crisis
Six North Carolina environmental and social justice organizations are resuming a previously filed lawsuit over the ongoing GenX crisis in the Cape Fear River.
Vermont
Proposed Law Expands Responsibility for PFAS Contamination
As Town Meeting Day approaches, Montpelier voters will consider a $16.4 million bond for wastewater treatment plant upgrades that likely will leave the city with new PFAS-laced material to discard. Meanwhile, state legislators are deliberating a law expanding Vermonters’ ability to sue chemical manufacturers that pollute the land and harm residents.
Virginia
Federal Studies Confirmed PFAS in Eastern Henrico Swamp More Than 4 Years Ago
The presence of dangerous chemicals known as PFAS in Eastern Henrico, potentially stemming in part or full from former military operations at Richmond International Airport, first was identified more than four years ago and subsequently documented by a federal report in May 2019, but that report apparently never made it to Henrico or state officials.
Wisconsin
Great Lakes Tributary Rivers Play Important Role in Bringing PFAS to the Drinking Water Source of Millions
The world’s largest source of fresh water, the Great Lakes, provides drinking water to more than 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada. In the first study of its kind, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering have demonstrated that tributary rivers feeding Lake Michigan play an important role in bringing PFAS to the Great Lakes system.
Wausau Holds Press Conference Following Discovery of PFAS in City Wells
All of the municipal drinking water wells in Wausau have tested above recommended state standards for “forever chemicals,” officials announced Wednesday.
Wisconsin Receives $600,000 to Test for PFAS in Drinking Water
Local governments will soon have access to federal funding for testing public water supplies for “forever chemicals.”
Gov. Tony Evers announced late Tuesday $600,000 in funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for sampling drinking water supplies for PFAS.
La Crosse and Campbell ‘Renegotiating’ Water Agreement as Possible PFAS Solution
As officials continue to search for a solution to the PFAS crisis on French Island, one possibility being pursued is to provide clean water from the city of La Crosse’s pipes.
