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concerned about what scientific evidence is being considered, especially because the World Health Organization issued draft guidance in 2022 that would allow more PFOA and PFOS in drinking water than the EPA has recommended, she said.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
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