By Alan Wooten | The Center Square | April 11, 2024
(The Center Square) – Legally enforceable drinking water standards related to what are commonly known as forever chemicals have been given by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA made the announcement Wednesday, with Administrator Michael Regan in Fayetteville, N.C., near the source of contamination to a river that supplies drinking water downstream to about 1 million of the state’s 10.8 million population.
It comes with a taxpayer investment of $21 billion Regan said is made possible by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. PFAS, the acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time.
The EPA said $1 billion “in newly available funding” is to help states and territories implement PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems and to help owners of private wells address PFAS contamination. That sum is part of a $9 billion investment helping communities impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants. Another $12 billion is for general drinking water improvements, “including addressing emerging contaminants like PFAS.”
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