“This is a necessary first step.
Sen. Gillibrand has focused on the issue of PFOS and PFOA, including pushing President Donald J. Trump’s administration to move forward with new kinds of firefighting foam that do not include the toxic chemicals.
“We don’t need to study the issue any longer to know that PFAS contamination shouldn’t be allowed in our drinking water,” she tweeted last week after the EPA announcement.
Sen. Schumer said in his letter to Mr. Wheeler that the delay in addressing the issue was concerning.
When ingested, they have been linked to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, pre-eclampsia, thyroid disease, developmental defects in fetuses, liver tissue damage and immune system impairments.
They were found in nonstick pans, furniture, cosmetics and household cleaners as well as in airport firefighting foam.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the EPA announcement changes nothing at the state level.
“Unfortunately, lack of federal leadership has further clarified that New York must continue to chart our own course to set protective levels for emerging contaminants in drinking water,” wrote Erin Silk in an email.
We are on target to adopt the most protective maximum contaminant levels for PFOA/PFOS, as well as recommending the first-ever level for 1,4-dioxane and expect to reach decisions for both soon following the rulemaking process.” In December, the state Drinking Water Quality Council put forward its recommendations of no more than 10 parts per trillion in drinking water for both PFOS and PFOA.
The Department of Health is now moving forward with these recommendations to establish its own legally enforceable limit.