On March 24, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) limits to the Biddle Air National Guard Base (ANGB), formerly known as the Horsham Air Guard Station (HAGS), in Horsham Township, Montgomery County.

Water discharged from the site will have a limit of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for the combined concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), two of the most common PFAS compounds.

NPDES permits are required for any point source discharge to Waters of the Commonwealth. Because ANGB has elevated concentrations of PFAS on the site, limits for these contaminants were included in the permit to control the discharge of treated stormwater and groundwater, which can become available for drinking water.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a drinking water Health Advisory Level (HAL) of 70 ppt for the combined concentration of PFOA and PFOS.

The limit of 70 ppt in the permit limit is consistent with EPA’s HAL, as well as permit limits issued to other nearby facilities.

“Establishing limits such as these in our permits is yet another example of the everyday efforts DEP is making to address PFAS in the commonwealth,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “While we work to identify potential new source areas on a statewide level, we continue to look at this issue through a local lens; establishing permit conditions protects local waterways and affected communities.”

For more information, visit DEP’s PFAS In PA webpage.

NewsClip:

Jon Hurdle: Critics Push PA To Set Enforceable PFAS Drinking Water Levels To Protect Public Health

Related Articles:

-- USGS Releases First-Of-Its-Kind Sampling Data For 33 PFAS Compounds, Including PFOS+PFOA In PA Surface Waters

-- DEP: 2nd Round Of PFAS Sampling At 114 Public Water System Sites: 65% No PFAS, None Of Sites Above Federal Limits

[Posted: March 25, 2021]

3/29/2021