PA Wants To Nearly Eliminate Cancerous Forever Chemicals In Water

HARRSIBURG, PA — New legislation has been introduced in Pennsylvania that would nearly eliminate the cancerous forever chemicals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the state's drinking water supply.

The bill's newly proposed regulation would cut the amount of the chemical down to 10 parts per trillion. It's significantly stricter than the current federal guideline of 70 ppt, and stricter than the 14 ppt first proposed a year ago by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

"Every Pennsylvanian has a constitutional right to clean drinking water and should not fear that something so basic and necessary to their life is slowly poisoning them," State Rep. MaryLouise Isaacson (D-Philadelphia) wrote in a co-sponsorship memorandum.

President Joe Biden's administration proposed the even stricter standard of 4 ppt this month, but there's no guarentee it will be approved.

Never in Pennsylvania history has the state itself set a specific limit for a substance in drinking water, so Isaacson's bill represents an unprecedented step.

"These chemicals can enter our bodies through drinking water, putting us at risk of significant long-term effects, such as low infant birth weight, a weakened immune system, and cancer," Isaacson added.

Awareness of the threat posed by PFAS has grown rapidly in the past several years.

PFAS are not new. They've been around since the 1940s to make products resistant to water and heat such as cookware, carpets, furniture fabrics, and more. They're perhaps most well known among health and environmental activists for their inclusion in firefighting foams, which has leaked into groundwater in many areas, including at Naval Air Station Willow Grove in Montgomery County.

Advocates and organizers have been pointing to the consequences of PFAS for some time, particularly where they believe clusters of illness have emerged, like at Willow Grove. U.S. manufacturers have phased out PFAS and PFOS, once an attractive choice for packaging and other products. A few uses remain, but due to a lack of regulation at their introduction, they're now ubiquitous in the environment.

Recent studies have also connected the chemicals to the cancer deaths of at least six Phillies players who spent a portion of their careers at Veterans Stadium. The artifical turf contained significant amounts of the chemical.

The full text of the new bill is available online here.