300 Water Utilities Around PA To Be Tested For PFAS

Pennsylvania will test 300 water utilities around the state for PFAS, man-made chemicals found in firefighting foams, cookwear, and other materials that have contaminated water supplies.

The testing will done in high-risk locations, including areas close to military bases and fire training sites that use the foams, as well as landfills and manufacturing facilities where the chemical could have run off from. Testing will begin in May 2019.

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell called it an "unprecedented" step for the state.

"This sampling plan will shed light on the extent of PFAS contamination in Pennsylvania," he said in a statement. "DEP will not hesitate to step up when the federal government fails to."

Specifically McDonnell noted the state's plan to set a Maximum Contaminant Level for PFAS, something which the EPA said in February they would not establish at the federal level.

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Contaminated water has led to numerous wells in southeastern Pennsylvania being shut down, and spurred widespread concerns about the safety of drinking water in the region.

A 2016 federal study found no evidence of a "cancer cluster" in Montgomery and Bucks counties, despite concerns that a growing number of local residents were being taken ill due to the contamination.

A similar testing program was executed in the state by the EPA in 2012. The tests ultimately leading to an EPA health advisory being issued on the "safe" amount of the chemical allowed in the drinking water: 70 parts per trillion. The 2012 tests did not show any Philadelphia area water utilities to have a greater presence of PFAS then 70 parts per trillion.