The Environmental Quality Board is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting June 15 to consider whether to move ahead with a DEP recommendation to develop a proposed regulation setting a Maximum Contaminant Level for PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid).

The EQB will also consider final changes to cleanup standards used in the Land Recycling Program, including for groundwater and soil contaminated with PFOS, PFOA and related chemicals.

PFOA MCL

The recommendation to move ahead with an MCL PFOA standard was developed as a part of a response to the Delaware RiverKeeper Network rulemaking petition submitted to the EQB in May 2017 suggesting a 6 ppt MCL for PFOA. Read more here.

DEP recommendation to the Board is based on a report developed for the agency by a Drexel University PFAS Advisory Group released in January that recommended an 8 ppt MCL goal.  Read more here.

The Delaware RiverKeeper Network disagrees with the recommendation made by DEP saying “8 ppt is legally inadequate and fails to rise to the level of a standard based exclusively on public health considerations.”  Read more here.

Documents posted by DEP on the Board webpage provided additional background on PFOS issues.  Also visit DEP’s PFAS In Pennsylvania webpage for more.

Cleanup Standards

The EQB will also consider a final Land Recycling Program regulation setting a soil and groundwater cleanup standard for PFOA, PFOS and PFBS. DEP noted it changed the PFBS standard based on a new toxicity assessment for that standard.

The rulemaking is also not proposing a change in the standard addressing lead in soil in this package but will be proposing a change in a separate rulemaking to allow the public the opportunity to comment.

The complete agenda and background documents related to these rulemakings are available on the Environmental Quality 2021 Meetings webpage.

The June 15 meeting will be held via Webex starting at 9:00 a.m.  Click Here to register to attend online. The meeting will also be available via conference call: 1-415-655-0003 Access code: 132 941 5909.

For more information and available handouts, visit the Environmental Quality Board webpage. Questions should be directed to Laura Griffin, 717-772-3277, laurgriffi@pa.gov.

NewsClips:

Wallace McKelvey: Toxic PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found In Drinking Water Across PA: Search The Database

Don Hopey: PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Show Up In State Public Water System Survey

AP: PFAS Chemicals Found In A Third Of Public Water Supplies, State Says

Related Article:

-- DEP: Final Sampling Results Do Not Show Widespread PFAS Contamination In Public Water Supply Systems

[Posted: June 3, 2021]

6/7/2021