U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is calling on the federal government to provide the Environmental Protection Agency with $20 million to regulate toxic chemicals that contaminate water supplies.
The EPA recently adopted new maximum contaminant levels for six PFAS compounds — including 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS – two of the most commonly detected chemicals.
PFAS can also be found in soil and water near waste sites. The chemical is commonly used in food packaging, personal care products, and fire extinguishing foam. Exposure to the chemicals has been linked to cancer and developmental delays in children.
Speaking with WAMC in Menands, the New York Democrat says she is pushing for the funding to be included in the 2025 budget.
“This is really just enough money to get them the resources they need, to hire personnel, to get the experts they need and to get the work, as outlined by others, done so that we can have these standards,” Gillibrand said. “It's past time that we have standards so communities can require cleanups by these polluters.”
The EPA’s new PFAS standards, which the agency says will benefit 100 million people, are scheduled to take effect in 2029. PFOA and PFOS will be limited to 4 parts per trillion, the lowest level that tests can reliably detect. The standards also designate PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) as hazardous substances under Superfund site regulations, helping to ensure polluters pay cleanup costs.
In a letter to Senate appropriators, Gillibrand says the EPA has historically failed to establish effluent limitation guidelines for PFAS discharges. But she says the agency is taking charge in establishing them, and the funding would “accelerate the development of ELGs to help stop PFAS pollution at the source.”
Industry groups say the EPA is underestimating the rule's cost and overestimating its benefits. Prior to New York adopting a threshold of 10 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, the EPA maintained a health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion.
Menands Mayor Brian Marsh says while the Albany County village hasn’t been affected by PFOA, he’s concerned over the indirect impacts.
“We had the PCB issue decades ago, still an issue, you know, and there's a forever chemical, and we will be literally talking about it forever,” Marsh said. “So, here's another one. We don't want to make the same mistakes as we did with PCBs with PFAS chemicals.”
According to the state Department of Health, trace amounts of PFOA and PFOS have been detected in neighboring Green Island and Watervliet.
Rob Hayes is the Director of Clean Water at Environmental Advocates NY. He is calling on state leaders to implement the EPA’s new standards, faster than the federal agency.
“Water utilities have been testing for these chemicals for years,” Hayes said. “We know how to get them out of the water. New Yorkers shouldn't have to wait for cleaner water when they turn on the tap.”
The DOH says “the current State 10ppt maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS continues as the only enforceable standard currently in effect until the federal requirements begin in 2027 for PFAS testing and 2029 for PFAS removal.”
