Tell the EPA: West Virginians support PFAS drinking water regulations!
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manmade, cancer-causing chemicals used to manufacture consumer and industrial products. A study released last year found unsafe levels of PFAS in the raw water used to supply drinking water to approximately 700,000 West Virginians.
In March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released proposed drinking water regulations for six PFAS. These proposed regulations, expected to be finalized by the end of 2023, 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
On Thursday, May 4th, EPA will hold a public hearing to present information and receive public comment on the proposed PFAS drinking water regulations. We encourage you to attend the hearing and provide verbal comments. Register for the public hearing here.
The more West Virginians EPA hears from, the better! Let EPA know that:
- PFAS drinking water regulations need to be protective of public health
- The cost of PFAS treatment technologies should not be placed on water utilities or ratepayers
- PFAS must be reduced at the source: EPA should expedite the release of water quality criteria to limit PFAS discharges at the source
We encourage you to attend the hearing and provide verbal comments. Try to personalize your comments and weave in your experiences related to PFAS.
The last day to register to speak at the hearing is this Friday, April 28th. If you would not like to speak but would still like to attend the hearing in listen-only mode, registration will remain open until May 2nd.
For an overview of the proposed drinking water standards, watch EPA’s 30-minute overview webinar.
You can read more about the proposed PFAS drinking water standards, including a fact sheet and frequently asked questions, here.
Be on the lookout for an action alert to send written comments in the next couple of weeks!
If you have any questions, please reach out to wvrivers@wvrivers.org.
