MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • March 13, 2023
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed enforceable drinking water standards for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that will prevent tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses or deaths. PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that have been linked to serious health problems, such as cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage, and immune system disorders. The EPA is proposing to regulate 6 PFAS at the federal level–PFOA and PFOS as individual contaminants at 4 parts per trillion (ppt), and PFHXS, PFNA, PFBS, and HFPO-DA (commonly referred to as GenX Chemicals) together at a Hazardous Index of 1.0 (unitless). Loreen Hackett of PfoaProject, said, “Having been dealing with PFAS since our water was found severely contaminated in 2014, and with all of our advocacy since, regulations at these lower levels certainly have been a long time coming and are most gratifying.”