How Much PFAS Is Safe? PA Bill Would Lower Drinking Water Limit

Legislation introduced in Pennsylvania this week would lower the legally safe level of a man-made chemical, PFAS, in local drinking water.

State bill 581 would drop the acceptable level of the chemical, often found in firefighting foams, cookwear, and other materials to 10 parts per trillion. The state currently follows the EPA's "health advisory level," which is 70 parts per trillion. The bill's sponsor, State Sen. Maria Collett (D-12), called it a basic human rights issue, a matter of access to "clean air and pure water."

"The sad reality," Collett said in a statement, "Is that this right has not been adequately preserved or defended as it pertains to our drinking water and the contaminated soil from which water tainted with dangerous chemicals continues to flow and spread through communities across Pennsylvania."

Contamination into drinking water sources has occurred close to military bases and fire training sites that use the foams, as well as landfills and manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania and around the country.

Under the new bill, the 10 parts per trillion measure would be in place until a broader state or federal authority — the Department of Environmental Protection, Gov. Wolf, or the EPA — issues their own standard.

The DEP announced back February that they had begun the process of setting a statewide standard; that was in response to the EPA's announcement the week before that they were taking steps towards establishing a nationwide limit.

The DEP stepped in then because they felt that the EPA was moving too slow; this legislation is essentially a statement by legislators that both agencies are moving too slow for residents who are impacted by the chemicals.

"The people of the 12th District are sick and tired of waiting for action and answers," Collett added in her statement. "I can no longer count the number of community members who have shared with me their stories of lost loved ones, personal health struggles, and increased water bills."

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.

The exact level of PFAS which can cause negative health effects is a matter of some debate, and will surely be a focal point of this bill moving forward. 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. Legislators point to a wide variety of health consequences, including infertility, high cholesterol, and cancer.

In addition to the first bill, Collett introduced a second piece of related legislation, Senate bill 582, which would classify PFAS as hazardous substances under the state's Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act.

Earlier in April, the DEP announced a plan to inspect 300 wells at high risk areas around Pennsylvania for PFAS levels.