In September 2020, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) finalized the settlement of an enforcement action against Cannon Air Force Base (CAFB), a federal facility, relating to the facility’s discharge of PFAS-containing wastewater to groundwater without a permit. According to the allegations of an administrative compliance order (ACO) issued in January 2020, CAFB had an
Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It…: The “Innovative Ways to Destroy PFAS Challenge”
In July 2020, we posted on takeback disposal options for some PFAS-containing firefighting foams, with a caveat about recent actions taken by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) to suspend incineration of AFFF that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) had sent to a hazardous waste facility in Cohoes, NY, pending the
State Regulation of PFAS Continues
States continue to develop standards, guidance and goals for PFAS. The ITRC has updated its table for PFAS in groundwater, drinking water and surface water/effluent to reflect the values in effect as of August 31, 2020. https://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/fact-sheets/. A graphic depicting the states that have set standards, guidance or goals is set forth below.
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Update on New Hampshire PFAS Standards
In a previous post, we noted the New Hampshire Superior Court’s issuance of a preliminary injunction enjoining the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) from implementing final maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) and ambient groundwater quality (AGQS) standards for four PFAS compounds. On July 23, 2020, Governor Chris Sununu signed into law legislation
PFAS Weighing Heavily on Regulators in NC
Earlier this year, North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality proposed a new rule to the Environmental Management Commission’s Groundwater Committee to set the groundwater standards for PFOA and PFOS at a combined allowed level of 70 parts per trillion (or 0.07 parts per billion). Currently, there are no standards for PFOS, and the interim standard
PFAS and Presidential Politics
As the political season begins in earnest with the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, PFAS is one subject for which regulatory action already under consideration may be accelerated if the White House changes hands from Republican to Democrat.
According to Biden’s “Plan to Secure Environmental Justice and Equitable Economic Opportunity,” three steps that
States Begin to Regulate PFAS in Water Discharges
According to ITRC, 13 states (Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont) regulate PFAS in drinking water through an MCL, screening level and/or action level. Some states, including New Jersey and Massachusetts, are now regulating PFAS in water discharges. Regulation of water discharges containing
State AFFF takeback programs may provide appropriate disposal options for local authorities and other users of older PFAS-containing foams
As more states develop regulatory standards for PFAS, many are also recognizing that certain formulations of firefighting foams that were manufactured into the early 2000s or earlier contain legacy PFAS compounds, including Class B Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF), and that historic applications of these foams in training or in emergency response uses may have contributed
EPA Amends Chemical Data Reporting Rule With New Definitions and Deadline Extension
The EPA has amended the Chemical Data Reporting rule, under the Toxic Substances Control Act, including revisions to reporting requirements, definition updates and an extension of the 2020 CDR submission period. Production of PFOA and PFOS is subject to CDR reporting.
In this alert, we outline the amendments and how they might affect your
New Eco-Certification Looks To Identify “PFAS-Free” Firefighting Foam Products
As we’ve discussed in prior posts, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have historically been an important component of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) products that are used for training and fire suppression. As awareness of PFAS in AFFF has grown over the last several years, governments at the federal, state, and municipal level, as well