17607_PMAA_Authority_June_2024

48 The Authority | June 2024 2047 and preventing more than four million cancer deaths — and stopping cancer before it starts by protecting communities from known risks associated with exposure to PFAS and other contaminants, including kidney and testicular cancers, and more.” EPA is taking a signature step to protect public health by establishing legally enforceable levels for several PFAS known to occur individually and as mixtures in drinking water. This rule sets limits for five individual PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO- DA (also known as “GenX Chemicals”). The rule also sets a limit for mixtures of any two or more of four PFAS: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and “GenX chemicals.” By reducing exposure to PFAS, this final rule will prevent thousands of premature deaths, tens of thousands of serious illnesses, including certain cancers and liver and heart impacts in adults, and immune and developmental impacts to infants and children. This final rule advances President Biden’s commitment to ending cancer as we know it as part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, to ensuring that all Americans have access to clean, safe, drinking water, and to furthering the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to environmental justice by protecting communities that are most exposed to toxic chemicals. EPA estimates that between about 6% and 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to this rule may have to take action to reduce PFAS to meet these new standards. All public water systems have three years to complete their initial monitoring for these chemicals. They must inform the public of the level of PFAS measured in their drinking water. Where PFAS is found at levels that exceed these standards, systems must implement solutions to reduce PFAS in their drinking water within five years. The new limits in this rule are achievable using a range of available technologies and approaches including granular activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange systems. For example, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, serving Wilmington, NC – one of the communities most heavily impacted by PFAS contamination – has effectively deployed a granular activated carbon system to remove PFAS regulated by this rule. Drinking water systems will have flexibility to determine the best solution for their community. EPA will be working closely with state co-regulators in supporting water systems and local officials to implement this rule. In the coming weeks, EPA will host a series of webinars to provide information to the public, communities, and water utilities about the final PFAS drinking water regulation. To learn more about the webinars, please visit EPA’s PFAS drinking water regulation webpage. EPA has also published a toolkit of communications resources to help drinking water systems and community leaders educate the public about PFAS, where they come from, their health risks, how to reduce exposure, and about this rule. “We are thankful that Administrator Regan and the Biden Administration are taking this action to protect drinking water in North Carolina and across the country,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “We asked for this because we know science- based standards for PFAS and other compounds are desperately needed.” “For decades, the American people have been exposed to the family of incredibly toxic ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS with no protection from their government. Those chemicals now contaminate virtually all Americans from birth. That’s because for generations, PFAS chemicals slid off of every federal environmental law like a fried egg off a Teflon pan — until Joe Biden came along,” said Environmental Working Group President and Co- PFAS funding article continued from page 30. EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap: www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic- roadmap-epas-commitments- action-2021-2024 President Biden’s government- wide action plan: www. whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/ statements-releases/2021/10/18/ fact-sheet-biden-harris- administration-launches- plan-to-combat-pfas- pollution/#:~:text=Consistent%20 with%20President%20 Biden’s%20commitment,from%- 20discharging%20PFAS%20into%20 America’s $1 billion in newly available funding: www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/ emerging-contaminants-ec-small- or-disadvantaged-communities- grant-sdc PFAS drinking water regulation webpage: www.epa.gov/sdwa/ and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances- pfas#Webinars Toolkit of communications resources: www.epa.gov/sdwa/ pfas-communications-toolkit Justice40 Initiative: www.whitehouse.gov/ environmentaljustice/justice40/ EPA’s Water Technical Assistance programs: www.epa.gov/water- infrastructure/water-technical- assistance-programs PFAS Strategic Roadmap: www. epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic- roadmap-epas-commitments- action-2021-2024 Second annual report on PFAS progress: www.epa.gov/system/ files/documents/2023-12/epas- pfas-strategic-roadmap-dec- 2023508v2.pdf Resources