Federal PFAS Regulations in the Works

"It’s going to be huge for the state of Connecticut,” Windsor Mayor Don Trinks said.

In a major milestone in the fight against PFAS, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it will now move forward to set federal regulations for the emerging contaminant for drinking water supplies across the country.

“The state has been begging and demanding and asking for the federal guidance and by them setting a new standard now we know what to look for,” Trinks said.

Just last month, Trinks, the Department of Public Health, and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection met with Congressman John Larson. The state leaders told Larson about the ongoing demand for the EPA to set drinking water standards.

Until now, states like Connecticut have had to come up with their own maximum containment levels, how much PFAS should be allowed in our drinking water.

PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” have been linked to health risks ranging from developmental effects in fetuses and infants and certain forms of cancer.

PFAS are a group of manmade chemicals found everywhere including water, food and household items. They’ve been linked to serious health issues like cancers and reproductive issues.

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“We have to be aggressive, we have to make sure that those regulations are strict and they’re tight,” Attorney General William Tong said.

Tong and his office have been working with the state’s PFAS Task Force to identify PFAS sources in Connecticut. He says he’ll push for the agency to set tough standards for how much PFAS should be allowed in drinking water.

“We are working with our partners in Massachusetts to New York and across the country and we’re going to come forward together and weigh in and let the federal government know let the EPA know that we think is the best level to set for human drinking water,” Tong said.

Right now the state of Connecticut has set its standard for 70 parts per trillion. New money set aside in Gov. Ned Lamont’s proposed budget could help fund PFAS testing in state, testing that will now be backed by the federal government.

“This is not a case of over regulation by the feds and the state this is drinking water, this is what we need for survival,” Trinks said.

PFAS is a group of man-made chemicals that have been used since the 1940s across the world, including the United States. These chemicals do not break down, and have been tied to can lead to adverse reproductive, developmental, liver and kidney effects.