Washington will move to tougher federal limits on 'forever chemicals' in tap water
Washington regulators will adopt a drinking water standard the federal government issued Wednesday that’s meant to limit people’s exposure to a class of harmful chemicals used for decades in firefighting foam and manufacturing.
The new rules target per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS for short, and sometimes called “forever chemicals” because of how long they take to break down in the environment and people’s bodies.
It’s the first time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set a legally enforceable maximum level in drinking water for the chemicals, which have been linked to cancers, heart and liver problems, and developmental damage in children.
In Washington, at least 1,228 water systems have tested for PFAS and 30 detected contamination greater than “action levels” the state’s Board of Health approved in 2021. Dealing with the contamination in Washington alone is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/04/10/washington-will-move-to-tougher-federal-limits-on-forever-chemicals-in-tap-water/
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