Category: Uncategorized

For Immediate Release | April 19th, 2024

NATIONAL — Today, the National PFAS Contamination celebrates the EPA’s designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Superfund.

Read the EPA press release here.

“This is another needed piece of the puzzle in combating the problem of PFAS contamination in our environment,” shared Sandy Wynn-Stelt, Co-Facilitator of the National PFAS Contamination Coalition and Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. “By designating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances it provides communities across the country with access to help in both remediating contamination, as well as holding the polluters accountable for their actions. For too long, individuals in my community have paid the price of these chemicals in our air, water and soil.  Now the polluters will be required to pay.”

“Until now, polluters have gotten away with poisoning our communities with PFAS,” shared Dana Colihan, Co-Facilitator of the National PFAS Contamination Coalition and Co-Executive Director of Slingshot. “The EPA finally has more legal muscle to make big polluters pay, and we look forward to working with them to leverage this tool to protect communities.”

Reactions from Impacted Community Leaders from Around the Country:

“By designating the 2 most prevalent PFAS as hazardous substances, the EPA has ensured known polluters such as Saint Gobain Performance Plastics in Merrimack, NH will finally be held responsible for site cleanup. This is great news not just in my community, but across the nation where decades of environmental contamination by PFAS polluters have impacted our families health and our natural resources. This long awaited designation and resulting actions will allow PFAS impacted communities to exhale and begin our healing journey. The people have been heard.” –  Laurene Allen, Cofounder Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water, NH 

“Locally, the DOD has been dragging their feet with regards to clean up. It has been 10 years since discovering PFAS contamination at both the Horsham and former Warminster DOD sites and we still have large uncontained PFAS plumes at both sites threatening our clean water sources, our fish, and our farmland. This hazardous substance designation will allow the EPA to speed up the clean up process and even recover any taxpayer money spent on cleanups from polluters. “-  Hope Grosse,  Cofounder Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water, PA

“This is long awaited good news! For decades, polluters knew PFAS chemicals were dangerous but hid risks from the public. These “forever chemicals” used for decades at Department of Defense sites across the country continue to pollute our local waterways in Horsham and Warminster, Pennsylvania.  They don’t break down, and as a result remain in the environment and people for decades.  This historic designation of PFOA and PFOS as a hazardous substance under CERCLA law is an important first step in regulating its clean up and keeping communities safe.” –   Joanne Stanton, Co-founder Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water, PA

“This action is especially important for disadvantaged communities and communities of color who, as a consequence of historical environmental injustice, are more likely to live in communities near DoD sites, industrial sites, or waste sites that are highly contaminated with PFOA and PFOS. Although exempting utilities removes the incentive to require pretreatment of waste, this designation will ensure that legacy sites are cleaned up and that other makers and users of PFAS will be good stewards of their PFAS waste.” – Cheryl Cail, Chairperson of SC Idle No More for SC Indian Affairs Commission, SC

“Polluters have gotten away with contaminating our communities for decades, and it appears somewhat tone-deaf when these polluters complain about the potential costs of clean-ups, while overlooking the massive costs associated with not cleaning up—including cancer, thyroid disease, reproductive harms, immune system harms, and more. This designation will enhance the transparency that these communities deserve. Polluters will be required to report certain releases, enabling the EPA and state agencies to take immediate action.” – Ayesha Khan, Co-Founder of Nantucket PFAS Action, MA 

“Since learning about extreme levels of PFAS in our tap water we’ve been forced to live with water we don’t feel safe using while also enduring rate hikes to clean up a crisis we didn’t create. Chemical companies like DuPont and Chemours profited off of PFAS for decades at our expense. Finally, the Biden EPA is beginning to hold PFAS polluters accountable. While there is no price tag big enough to bring back all the lives cut short or traumatized by decades of PFAS exposures–this is a step in the right direction. Ultimately, we need PFAS regulated as a class and we will keep fighting until all PFAS are designated as hazardous substances.” – Emily Donovan, Co-Founder of Clean Cape Fear, NC – full statement here.

“For communities like the Town of Peshtigo and Marinette, WI this designation is an enormous step forward in ensuring environmental health for the public while simultaneously holding corporate polluters accountable for their decades long abuse.  We petitioned the EPA years ago as a potential safety net against our communities PFAS contamination, this designation was critical to the viability of that petition and today we feel encouraged, validated and again hopeful that our community will get the remediation and safe drinking water that they deserve.” Cindy Boyle of SOH2O, WI – full statement here.

“It’s a real moment of victory. Sometimes it is hard to see a historical moment when you are living in it. But,  I am seeing it and feeling it right now. I don’t know if I cry from the joy of it or from the thought that my daughter is saying, “Mom, I love you, and I am so proud of you. I can rest easy now. Thank you for saving the millions of other children who are affected by it, no one else should have to go through the pain and suffering I went through, and the emotional turmoil you guys went through when I died.”  Linda Shosie, Co-Founder of the Tucson Environmental Justice Taskforce, AZ

“I applaud the EPA for designating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the Superfund law. The Pease community has been highly impacted by PFAS contamination from the use of firefighting foam used by the US Air Force when it was an active Air Force Base. Pease was already a Superfund site when PFAS contamination was first discovered in 2014. The Superfund law has guided the PFAS investigation and remediation that the Pease community has received from the Air Force. By designating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances, many other PFAS impacted communities across the nation who have currently been left behind due to lack of legal authority to hold polluters accountable can now address PFAS contamination and will now benefit from investigations and cleanup of their communities, too.” Andrea Amico, Testing for Pease, NH – full statement here.

“This is another important step by the EPA to ensuring communities across the nation are protected from toxic exposures and hold polluters accountable.  Since the 2016 public disclosure that City of Newburgh residents had been exposed for decades to toxic PFAS chemicals running off the Stewart Air National Guard Base, we have lost autonomy of utilizing our once thriving reservoir, and rely on alternative water sources from different agencies.  Eight years later, PFAS pollution continues to run off the base into our surrounding watershed as the Department of Defense ignores the community’s widespread ‘Speed Up the Clean Up’ Campaign to establish effective interim measures and expedite remediation and prevent continued harm to our community and environment. Our community knows firsthand how devastating exposure to these toxic ‘forever chemicals’ can be to the health of loved ones and so any step towards preventing exposure and assisting communities such as ours in the fight for clean water and full remediation is considered an important one.” – Jennifer Rawlison, Newburgh Clean Water Project, NY

Monumental win for public health: PFAS drinking water standards will save countless lives

For Immediate Release | April 10th, 2024

NATIONAL: For nearly a decade, PFAS-contaminated community groups have been on the frontlines demanding federal protection from PFAS exposures. Today, in a historic step to address these community concerns the EPA announced its first-ever nationwide enforceable drinking water standards for six per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).The finalized drinking water standards are:

• 4 parts per trillion for PFOA
• 4 parts per trillion for PFOS
• A standard based on the hazard of a mixture of four PFAS chemicals: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and HFPO-DA (commonly known as Gen X)
• 10 parts per trillion for PFNA
• 10 parts per trillion for PFHxS
• 10 parts per trillion for HFPO-DA  

The National PFAS Contamination Coalition (NPCC), which includes over 30 community groups acutely impacted by PFAS contamination, celebrates the new rules as an important milestone in their work to achieve justice for those affected by PFAS contamination. 

“Impacted communities have been raising the alarm bells and tirelessly organizing for these drinking water protections for years. This is a landmark decision that will save countless lives,” said Dana Colihan, co-facilitator of the National PFAS Contamination Coalition and Co-Executive Director of Slingshot.  

PFAS are a class of highly toxic chemicals that have been linked to serious health problems, such as cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage, and immune system disorders.They are often called “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment. There are currently no proven, safe disposal methods for PFAS. 

Communities all across the nation were contaminated by PFAS without consent for decades while a handful of chemical companies, along with the US military and civilian fire service, knowingly hid the dangers of these toxicants from regulators, soldiers, firefighters, factory-workers, and the general public. This is the first time the EPA has regulated PFAS in drinking water and also the first time the EPA has issued drinking water standards in over 25 years without explicit congressional action required.

“After experiencing first hand the dangers of these chemicals, losing my husband and suffering from cancer myself, I have realized the importance of having strong environmental standards,” shared National PFAS Contamination Coalition Co-Facilitator Sandy Wynn-Stelt. “I applaud the EPA and the Biden administration for the tireless work and their focus on science to drive policy.  This is an important step in protecting human health and the environment.”

PFAS are a class of over 14,000 chemicals and primarily used as convenience chemicals for its  stain- and water-resistance properties.  In the United States, PFAS contamination impacts over 200 million people’s drinking water sources, and PFAS have been detected in 99% of American bodies.  

The coalition celebrates this hard-fought win as one significant step in a longer journey. “We will continue to fight for justice for the victims of PFAS exposure, regulation of PFAS as a class, and turning off the tap of contamination to ensure a contamination crisis of this scale never happens again” remarked NPCC co-facilitator Dana Colihan. 

Responses from community members impacted by PFAS contamination around the country:

Emily Donovan of Clean Cape Fear in Wilmington, NC: “We learned about GenX and other PFAS in our tap water over six years ago. I raised my children on this water and watched loved ones suffer from rare or recurrent cancers. No one should ever worry if their tap water will make them sick or give them cancer. I’m grateful the Biden EPA kept its promise to the American people. We will keep fighting until all exposures to PFAS end and the chemical companies responsible for business-related human rights abuses are held fully accountable.”

Laurene Allen of Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water in Merrimack, NH: “Today, we celebrate a milestone in our fight to ensure clean, safe drinking water for all. The EPA’s action on PFAS is a testament to the power of advocacy and the relentless push for environmental justice. While this is a significant achievement, our work is far from over. We will continue to advocate for the regulation of all toxic PFAS chemicals.”

Linda Robles of Mothers Safe Air Safe Water Force in Tucson, AZ: “For the last 7 decades, AFFF went unseen and unregulated by the federal government before they took action to regulate them. Generations of community residents on Tucson Southside and tribes had to contend with AFFF groundwater contamination, and an uncertain future. Today I am overwhelmed with joy that the EPAs took those final steps to regulate PFAS in our nation’s drinking water. The new rule will provide our communities with a safe drinking water future, and a healthier and certain future for us and generations to come. Thank you EPA. I’m right there with you.” 

Andrea Amico of Testing for Pease in Portsmouth, NH: “10 years ago I first learned of my family’s exposure to PFAS and was shocked that there were no laws or protections in place to regulate these toxic chemicals in drinking water. One of the reasons I have continued to advocate for PFAS regulations over the last decade is to put protections in place so that another family would not have to experience the pain and devastation that I felt when I learned my family drank highly contaminated water. I am proud that 10 years later, grassroots community advocacy has significantly contributed to the EPA implementing MCLs that will save lives and protect families from these harmful chemicals in their drinking water.”

Kyle Horton of On Your Side Action in Wilmington, NC: “These drinking water standards are a huge milestone in confronting the public health crisis of PFAS pollution. Clean, safe drinking water should be a right. Undoubtedly, health professionals in PFAS-contaminated communities all over the country are celebrating this monumental action, which will prevent countless PFAS-related illnesses and save lives.” 

Tony Spaniola of Need Our Water (NOW) in Oscoda, MI: “This is a monumental victory for the American people.Grounded in science, driven by tireless advocates, and delivered by President Biden and his team, these PFAS drinking water standards will save the lives of countless Americans for generations to come. Thank you to President Biden for his courageous leadership. Thank you to the EPA for its diligent work. And thank you to our friends and allies in communities across the country for never giving up. Together, we have shown that government can work for all of us.”

Cheryl Cail, Acting Chief, Waccamaw Indian People and of Idle No More SC in Myrtle Beach, SC: “This is a historic step by the EPA and the Biden Administration, which has been long overdue! There is still much work to be done to ensure that compliance to the new standards are equitable and effective for all communities. The victory is bittersweet, as I reflect on tribal and community members who have suffered, and those who have passed on. But, with these first steps to protect people and our drinking water from the harmful effects of PFAS, today we can celebrate.” In Honor of Chief Ralph Justice Oxendine, Sumter Tribe of Cheraw Indians. (2/1/1955-1/7/2024) 

Jennifer Rawlison of Newburgh Clean Water Project in Newburgh, NY: “As a mother and lifelong resident from a PFAS impacted community, today not only recognizes the EPA’s continued commitment to protecting the public from harmful PFAS exposure but the hard work that so many impacted individuals have hoped to accomplish. May this action be just one of many steps to protecting families across the nation and environmental justice communities such as mine who carry an even heavier burden. This decision ensures a safer, healthier future for all.” 

Stel Bailey of Fight for Zero in Cocoa, FL: “PFAS contamination harms communities across the U.S., and the EPA’s final drinking water standards are a step in the right direction, one that tries to protect people not profits.”

Ayesha Khan & Jaime Honkawa of Nantucket PFAS Action Group in Nantucket, MA: “This is a long overdue, critical first step that will help protect millions of Americans from toxic PFAS in drinking water. However, this will continue to be a global catastrophe until we stop allowing the sale and manufacturing of all PFAS. We must continue advocating for class regulation, a ban on non-essential uses, and industry accountability for remediation”

Joanne Stanton of Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water in Warminster, PA: “Today’s historic announcement by the EPA is a huge victory for all Americans and a cause for celebration!  It highlights the strong leadership at the EPA and sends a powerful message to polluters, like the Department of Defense and Chemours, that these toxic “forever chemicals” have NO safe level.  This drinking water standard will save countless lives from cancer and other debilitating illnesses associated with PFAS and fulfills President Biden’s campaign promise to protect public health and secure environmental justice. Thank you to the White House, the EPA, the Environmental Working Group, and fellow community advocates I have been privileged to work with on this issue over the past decade.” 

Hope Grosse of Buxmont Coalition for Safe Water in Warminster, PA:  “I am beyond relieved that finally this “Historical federal MCL for PFAS has been established.” I am an affected community member, a mom, an advocate, and a grassroots leader, this has been a long 10-year journey. This is an emotional day, a day that gives me hope and faith in our leaders. I am totally grateful that our children and grandchildren will have clean drinking water.  This movement has just begun, and we have more work to do, and more PFAS to ban. Thank you, President Biden and your administration, EPA and especially to our local advocates who have spent endless time away from our families to help protect public health for all Americans.”

Arnie Leriche of Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board in Oscoda, MI: “These six drinking water standards are a huge step forward in our national and local fight against direct human exposure to PFAS.  Our communities in northern Michigan celebrate the upcoming completion of these 6 standards and the federal agencies such as President Biden and EPA.  However, there are two federal employees who also deserve recognition at this time because they recently retired from their agencies but played some of the most significant responsibilities, but most difficult roles in the PFAS MCLs’ development.  I applaud their professionalism during several contentious battles for MCL’s justification in Congressional hearings in 2017-2021. Both agency Directors Dr. Linda Birnbaum (NIEH) and Dr. Patrick Breysse (ATSDR) of their agencies on several occasions were instrumental in the development and approval of science-based research for human health exposure research which are the basis of these Drinking Water MCLs. They were outstanding, professional and effective in testifying on the validity and need for PFAS control and their MCLs. We are indebted to you!”

Brenda Hampton of Concerned Citizens of WMEL Water Authority in Courtland, AL: “This is a fantastic day for the fight against PFAS. I discovered the effects and destruction these forever chemicals have caused humans and animals while living downstream from twenty-seven industrial plants–including 3M, Daikin, and Ascend.”

Lawrence Higgins of Fairfield Water Concerned Citizens in Fairfield, ME: “In 2020 we found that our well water was contaminated with PFAS from the spreading of sludge onto the farm fields as fertilizer. Fairfield has some of the highest contaminated well water in the U.S. ranging over 40,000 ppt. We organized our community, and forced the DEP to listen to us about how this contamination was affecting everyday families like ours. One person can not stand up to large polluters and government bureaucracy, but communities can. We asked for zero PFAS as a target standard in drinking water and we were told it was impossible. Now look how far we have come. With help from everyone, we can do even better for our next generations.”

Adam Nordell of Songbird Farm in Unity, ME: “The EPA and the Biden Administration should be applauded for taking courageous steps to get PFAS out of municipal drinking water supplies.  The new MCLs will have cascading benefits measured in the improved health, quality of life, and economic productivity of communities across the country who are currently suffering from the impacts of exposure to these chemicals. Huge kudos to the Biden Administration for extending clean drinking water funding to the residents of rural America, who are not served by public water supplies and are often left to fend for themselves when it comes to dealing with contaminated water. People whose residential wells have been poisoned with PFAS by sludge land-application and the AFFF plumes near airports and military bases are disproportionately likely to be low income and people of color too often they are asked to bear the ongoing costs of PFAS contamination in ruined health. Today that starts to change.”

Liz Rosenbaum & Mark Favors of Fountain Valley Clean Water Coalition in Fountain, CO: “We have been working towards a non-detect for all PFAS chemicals in drinking water supplies and holding chemical manufacturers responsible for the costs communities are incurring in filtering out these harmful chemicals. We applaud President Biden and the EPA for finally taking the required initial steps needed to start helping protect Americans from toxic PFAS chemicals in their drinking water. And let us not forget those who suffered negative health effects and lives lost to toxic PFAS chemicals in their drinking water, especially our military service members and their families. 

Cindy Boyle of Marinette, WI: “Safer water and peace of mind are finally at hand thanks to the Biden administration’s EPA and its persistent commitment to tackle a forever problem, PFAS! Wisconsin residents will finally be able to trust that their public drinking water is safe from 6 of the most well researched PFAS compounds. While 1/3 of Wisconsinites with private groundwater wells continue to advocate for the same protection, this critical EPA drinking water standard gives credence to our cries and brings us all one step closer to safe drinking water FOR ALL!”

Tamela Trussell, Founder of Move Past Plastic (MPP) in Carlisle, PA: “Whether fed with a bottle, breast milk, sippy cups, or single-use plastic bottles, growing fetuses, babies, and children can not escape drinking PFAS. Because of the dedication of many advocates over 25 years, the EPA has finally set new PFAS maximum contamination levels for public drinking water. This is just the start of the actions needed to protect our most vulnerable population from health harm and lack of cognitive and physical vitality due to PFAS contamination.”

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NATIONAL: Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed enforceable drinking water standards for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that will prevent tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses or deaths. PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that have been linked to serious health problems, such as cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage, and immune system disorders.

The EPA is proposing to regulate 6 PFAS at the federal level–PFOA and PFOS as individual contaminants at 4 parts per trillion (ppt), and PFHXS, PFNA, PFBS, and HFPO-DA (commonly referred to as GenX Chemicals) together at a Hazardous Index of 1.0 (unitless).

EPA is also proposing health-based, non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for these PFOA and PFOS at 0 ppt, and at 1 ppt for the PFAS mixture. MCLGs are the maximum level of a contaminant in drinking water where there are no known or anticipated negative health effects allowing for a margin of safety. The proposed rules will be subject to a 60-day public comment period.

Comprising over 30 community groups impacted by PFAS contamination from around the country, the National PFAS Contamination applauds the EPA’s announcement. NPCC Co-Facilitator Sandy Wynn Stelt said, “We appreciate the Biden administration and the EPA for the work that they have done and recognize this is the first step. We hope that the EPA will continue to follow the science to protect human health and the environment. This sends a very strong message to polluters that there is no safe level.” 

The proposed rule would  require public water systems to:

• Monitor for these PFAS
• Notify the public of the levels of these PFAS
• Reduce the levels of these PFAS in drinking water if they exceed the proposed standards

“This is a victory for us all, and especially environmental justice communities that have been disproportionately exposed to PFAS contamination,” said Dana Colihan, NPCC Co-Facilator and Slingshot Co-Executive Director. “We urge EPA to implement these recommendations as swiftly as possible.”  

Responses from community members impacted by PFAS contamination around the country:

Andrea Amico of Testing for Pease in Portsmouth, NH: : “Almost 9 years ago, I learned my family was drinking highly contaminated water with PFAS. It devastated me and I knew more needed to be done to prevent others from being exposed to PFAS. The MCLs announcement from the EPA today is life changing and life saving and I’m deeply grateful for this bold and much needed action.”

Linda Robles of Mothers Safe Air Safe Water Force in Tucson, AZ: “Today’s news is very rewarding. We are overwhelmed by Radhika Fox’s strength, courage, and boldness in leadership to stand up for us, our children, and our grandchildren by regulating PFAS in our nation’s drinking water. As environmental justice advocates, we are poised to influence others by this step to advance environmental justice. We must continue to promote health equity, democracy and justice for all.“

Laurene Allen of Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water in Merrimack, NH: “This is an amazing and much awaited day. We have pushed for so long for this and the EPA has delivered a just and defendable action where PFAS levels in drinking water will no longer depend on your zip code. Our voices have truly been heard. This two pronged approach hastens the acknowledgement of exposure to the class and builds a foundation from which to move forward that we can all be proud of.

Emily Donovan of Clean Cape Fear in Wilmington, NC: “No one should ever wonder if the PFAS in their tap water will one day make them sick. We all deserve access to health-protective drinking water. It’s a basic human right. We applaud the Biden EPA for having the courage to do what multiple administrations could not. Today, prayers were answered.”

Loreen Hackett of PfoaProject NY in Hoosick Falls, NH: Having been dealing with PFAS since our water was found severely contaminated in 2014, and with all of our advocacy since, regulations at these lower levels certainly have been a long time coming and are most gratifying. We are pleased to have an EPA who listened, gave affected communities a seat at the table, which we’d never had before, and followed through in the necessity to protect the health of all families from these harmful chemicals. 

Cheryl Cail of Idle No More SC in Myrtle Beach, SC: “Today the EPA has demonstrated that it will take the necessary steps to address the harms PFAS has caused to human health and our environment. We know this will be a long and arduous road ahead, as there have been many decades of environmental injustice for those who have not been heard. The shift to hear from all voices has had an incredible impact, and we will continue to support the Environmental Justice work of the EPA as we advocate for clean water for all and a healthier planet.”

Ayesha Khan of Nantucket PFAS Action in Nantucket, MA: “We owe it to our future generations to protect them from the harms of PFAS. The proposed EPA drinking water standard is a promising first step in safeguarding our communities from the wide-reaching impacts of PFAS contamination.” 

Arnie Leriche of Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board in Oscoda, MI: “Today we also want to acknowledge the incredible work of Dr. Linda Birnbaum and Dr. Breyssee who drove the science to bring us to this moment. They fought the uphill battle against industry, federal polluting agencies and congressional naysayers for decades but still developed the MRLs which are the first step and scientific foundation for these 6 PFAS draft regulations.”

Joanne Stanton & Hope Gross of Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water in PA: “These ‘forever chemicals’ used for decades at Department of Defense sites across the country, continue to pollute our local waterways in Horsham and Warminster, Pennsylvania. They don’t break down, and as a result these toxic chemicals remain in the environment and people for decades. This historic proposed federal drinking water standard is the first step to keep our community safe.”

The National PFAS Contamination Coalition will continue to monitor EPA’s progress on developing the drinking water standards and work alongside impacted communities to provide input during the public comment period.

December 6, 2022

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the National PFAS Contamination Coalition, Sierra Club, Center for Health Environment and Justice, and more than 60 other organizations sent a letter to the Biden Administration calling for the safe and expeditious clean up of PFAS-contaminated federal sites. PFAS, or Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals that are widely used in consumer products and at military and industrial sites. These “forever chemicals” never break down in the environment, and exposure is linked to a variety of health problems including kidney and testicular cancer, damaged immune systems, and harm to the liver, thyroid, and pancreatic function. 

Despite a pledge to use “every tool in the toolbox to contain the PFAS crisis,” PFAS are still required in fire fighting foam on military bases and at large airports. There has been very little clean up of PFAS-contaminated soils and groundwater at these sites. As communities wait for relief, PFAS pollution continues to spread via historically contaminated soil and groundwater which wash PFAS into surface, ground, and stormwater runoff. Meanwhile the Department of Defense (DOD) is challenging efforts by states including Michigan and New Mexico to force a cleanup of PFAS contamination from military bases. 

Advocates are particularly concerned by recent DOD statements that long-overdue PFAS cleanups will be further slowed if it is not allowed to incinerate waste PFAS foams, soils, filters, and other contaminated materials. We call on the Biden Administration to expedite clean up without compromising the safety of people living near hazardous waste landfills, incinerators, and other kilns that have historically burned PFAS waste.

In response, community leaders issued the following statements:

“While we are working to clean up and repair the damage of years of pollution and neglect it is imperative that we do so in ways that are just and cause no further harm to those most impacted by historical neglect,” said Reverend Mike Atty of the United Congregations of the Metro East. “While we’ve banned the incineration of PFAS waste in Illinois, we do not want that burden shifted to other incinerator communities. We should treat those communities as if it is our own backyards.” 

“I am calling on the aerospace industry and the Department of Defense to take action on cleaning up PFAS without sacrificing the health of those who live and work in these areas,” said Stel Bailey of Fight For Zero. “Currently, military waste is destroyed in an open burn and open detonation unit (OBOD) in Cape Canaveral, Florida, that exposes our communities to harmful contamination. I urge you to protect the environment and human health by implementing safer alternatives for disposal of military waste.” 

“Unfortunately we currently don’t have a safe and effective way to destroy PFAS chemicals,” said Andrea Amico of Testing for Pease. “Incinerating PFAS or sending PFAS waste to landfills does not solve the problem. It just moves the pollution from one community to another. My community of Portsmouth, New Hampshire (home to the former Pease Air Force Base), is fortunate to have clean up efforts and filtration of drinking water and groundwater to address PFAS contamination paid for by the US Air Force, but I worry about the communities receiving our waste and what impacts these forever chemicals will now have on them.”

“The historic and on-going use of PFAS-based fire fighting foams at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Tucson International Airport threaten ground water supplies for our city,” said Linda Shosie of the Environmental Justice Task Force – Tucson. “Ineffective disposal practices like deep well injection can allow PFAS to enter the groundwater and move back to the water cycle and eventually enter our bodies. Many people in my community have already developed cancer and other serious irreversible illnesses associated with PFAS. We need to find equitable and effective solutions.” 

“PFAS incineration only transfers the problem from the incinerator to the surrounding community,” said Jose Aguayo of the Center for Health, Environment, & Justice. “These communities are already suffering from many other forms of contamination so we cannot just add more simply because the DoD is feeling lazy. We need to take the time and money to treat the waste properly.”

Contact:

Cindy Carr, Sierra Club, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org

Dana Colihan, National PFAS Contamination Coalition, dana@slingshotaction.org

For Immediate Release: August 26, 2022

(NATIONAL) – Today, the EPA announced that they are finally taking action to list two of the thousands of PFAS chemicals as Hazardous Substances under CERCLA, clearing the way for them to be included in Superfund clean up standards. The National PFAS Contamination Coalition (NPCC) commends the Biden Administration for taking this bold action. This is a first step towards holding polluters accountable and financially responsible for the cost of cleaning up contaminated sites. By taking this step the following will occur:

• Industrial sites with PFOS/PFOA contamination can be prioritized by the EPA for clean up and remediation under Superfund Law. 
• Cost of clean up will be the responsibility will be shifted to the polluter, and not local communities and taxpayers.
• Hazardous substance designation will help to hold the Department of Defense accountable for decades of releases of PFOA and PFOS into the environment and surrounding communities.

Reactions from Community Members Impacted by PFAS Contamination:

Laurene Allen of Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water in Merrimack, NH: “A hazardous substance designation for PFOA will give us the right to insist on cleanup of a site where an EPA identified polluter continues to contaminate our environment. In Merrimack NH, site investigation data at Saint Gobain Performance Plastics shows high levels of PFOA and other PFAS in soil, groundwater, storm water runoff and drains, and outfall to a nearby brook and the Merrimack River. As we work to remediate our drinking water supplies, PFAS Contamination of our environment continues.” 

Linda Robles of Mothers Safe Air Safe Water Force in Tucson, AZ: “PFAS contamination in the Tucson area is a community-wide problem,  predominantly impacting Latino neighborhoods located near military bases. These communities are at a higher risk of developing very serious and irreversible health effects. For decades, the Tucson south side residents have incurred higher rates of cancer and other related diseases from the historical environmental injustices inflicted on people of color and low wealth populations. By designating PFOA and PFOS, as Hazardous Substances under CERCLA, the inequitable community impacts of PFAS, along race and class lines will begin to be addressed.” 

Joanne Stanton and Hope Grosse, Co-Founders of Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water in Warminster, PA: “This designation of PFOA and PFOS as a hazardous substance is an important first step and we are grateful that President Biden has fulfilled his campaign. This will finally jumpstart the cleanup process in hundreds of communities across the country. It will also help hold the Department of Defense accountable for decades of releases into the environment and will enable faster investigations and cleanups at sites across the country. This designation of PFOA and PFOS as a hazardous substance begins to address the root of devastating health effects these chemicals have caused.” 

Cheryl Cail of SC Idle No More, South Carolina Indian Affairs Commission: “With the announcement of PFOA and PFOS being designated as hazardous substances, the contamination at the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base can finally be addressed with EPA oversight. This is welcome news with so many contaminated Military sites in South Carolina. It will finally help DoD manage the PFAS cleanup that is so desperately needed.” 

Loreen Hackett of PFOAProject in Hoosick Falls, NY: “In New York State, PFOA and PFOS were designated as hazardous substances in 2016, with the final rule effective in March 2017. In doing so, the state solidified its authority to hold polluters accountable, as it should be, and has been doing so, working for over 5 years, saving communities like Hoosick Falls from being held to what would have been a devastating financial responsibility for contamination caused by industry. There is no feasible reason why this cannot happen on a national level, given our ongoing success on this rule as an example.” 

      The National PFAS Contamination Coalition has a 22 point plan outlining further steps needed to combat the issue of PFAS contamination in our environment.  

October 19, 2021

The National PFAS Contamination Coalition (NPCC) is grateful for Administrator Regan’s public commitment to partnering with PFAS contaminated community activists and his promise to “keep pushing the envelope” for aggressive EPA actions designed to protect harmed communities from PFAS exposures. We plan to hold Administrator Regan to his words. 

The NPCC sent a letter in January calling on President Biden to prioritize PFAS in the new administration’s priority agenda. The EPA’s PFAS strategic roadmap addresses some of these concerns including setting clear timelines and next steps for protecting communities across the country from PFAS contamination. It also urges the FDA, DOD, and other federal agencies to also take significant actions to address their responsibilities in protecting public health from these toxic “forever chemicals”. However, if Administrator Regan is going to bring true equity and environmental justice to the millions of American communities suffering from decades of PFAS exposures–more needs to be done and we call on Administrator Regan to work closely with the NPCC to prioritize these needs. 

Community leaders in the coalition, all of whom are directly impacted by PFAS contamination, praise the roadmap for establishing tangible deadlines for action, something sorely missing from previous EPA plans. They also acknowledge  more action is urgently needed and welcome continued dialog with Administrator Regan and his office.

“PFAS contamination is a public health emergency impacting every American who has detectable levels of PFAS in their blood,” said Stel Bailey of Fight for Zero in Cocoa Beach, Florida and co-facilitator of the National PFAS Contamination Coalition. “We know intimately the costs and burdens associated with EPA inaction. The EPA’s leadership in releasing this plan is an important first step in the right direction and more clearly highlights the extra work that needs to be done. We will do whatever it takes to see our communities are made whole. We promise to be as persistant as PFAS.”

The National PFAS Contamination Coalition formed in June 2017 in order to support local organizing for clean, PFAS-free air, soil, water, and food supplies, as well as advocating for occupational health and safety from workplace PFAS exposures. The coalition seeks these health protections through the sharing of stories, information, experiences, references, data, and connections with experts in their fields. The National PFAS Contamination Coalition envisions a PFAS-free world where people are not exposed to any PFAS, where the environment and public health are protected, where there is justice for the victims of PFAS exposure, and where laws and regulations prevent contamination disasters like this from happening again.

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The National PFAS Contamination Coalition is a network of grassroots groups fighting PFAS contamination in communities across the country, formed following the June 2017 PFAS conference in Boston, MA. The coalition has grown to represent 18 groups in 16 states across the country. See more at pfasproject.net.