NEW YORK (July 29, 2020) Aggressively addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continues to be an active and ongoing priority for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Today, EPA Region 2 highlighted efforts to help communities in the region address the exposure pathway risks from per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the agency’s constructive engagement to manage the potential PFAS environmental impacts. EPA Region 2 is taking a proactive approach to address PFAS and is accelerating efforts to expand scientific knowledge about PFAS. In July alone, EPA has made significant progress implementing the PFAS Action Plan —the most comprehensive cross-agency plan ever to address an emerging chemical of concern.

“With federal technical assistance efforts underway across the country, the Trump Administration is bringing much needed support to state, tribal, and local governments as part of the agency’s unprecedented efforts under the PFAS Action Plan,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “These partnerships allow for collaboration, encourage cutting edge research, and information sharing—ensuring that our joint efforts are effective and protective of public health.”

“Working in close partnership with states, tribes, and local communities across the country, EPA is focused on PFAS reductions and protecting public health,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “EPA Region 2 is providing positive and proactive leadership in addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and this area continues to be an active and ongoing priority for EPA.”

EPA Region 2 has generally become involved with communities impacted by PFAS as they are identified or if they are connected with sites under the Superfund program or the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action program. Communities have also self-identified and others have been brought to EPA’s attention by the state. In some communities, where drinking water sampling has indicated levels of PFAS in exceedance of EPA’s health advisories, EPA Region 2 has coordinated with local officials, drinking water utilities, state drinking water primacy agencies, and other federal agencies to inform the public.

EPA Region 2 has been directly involved in communities with potential PFAS contamination where that contamination may be found at a Superfund site. Many of those sites are overseen by the Department of Defense (DOD), such as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) near Trenton, N.J. and Picatinny Arsenal near Dover, N.J. These sites are on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) and cleanup activities are managed through the Air Force and Army, respectively. PFAS investigations have been ongoing for several years. The Department of Energy (DOE) has also been investigating potential PFAS contamination related to the Brookhaven National Lab Superfund site. At the DOD and the DOE site restoration advisory boards or community advisory councils are in place. These provide a forum for members of the public and local/state and federal regulators to discuss and provide input on these investigations. At the NPL sites, EPA is the lead agency for regulatory oversight and works with its state and local counterparts to ensure that the varying concerns are identified and addressed whenever possible. Challenges exist at these sites where multiple non-federal potential sources of contamination are identified, such as fire training facilities. This can complicate jurisdiction and responsibility for cleanup. In such cases, continuing open communication is key to moving projects forward.

Some of EPA’s involvement is through known potential sources, such as at the Chemours Chambers Works and Solvay Specialty Polymers RCRA corrective action facilities in southern N.J. EPA is the lead in overseeing work being conducted under a RCRA Corrective Action Permit at the Chemours Chambers Works complex located in Deepwater, N.J. Chemours runs a sampling program for private drinking water wells in the vicinity of the facility and when needed, has provided point-of-entry treatment systems or has connected residences to public water supplies. EPA has worked closely with local and state officials and has developed several approaches to assist with public communication. At the request of EPA, Chemours is working on a public web page that will include site-related documents. Chemours is also working on a public participation plan, and has a Community Advisory Panel.

At the Solvay Specialty Polymers facility in West Depford, N.J, NJDEP is the lead for the site’s remediation program, including PFAS-related mitigation and cleanup activities on and off-site. EPA reviews and provides technical assistance on Solvay’s PFAS investigation work plans and reports. NJDEP requested that EPA scientists collaborate with them to identify PFAS compounds that have been used as replacements for legacy PFAS in industrial applications and to characterize the distribution of legacy PFAS in soil samples they collected in southwestern N.J., including areas adjacent to the Solvay Specialty Polymers and Chemours facilities.  EPA’s research identified legacy PFAS compounds in soil samples as well as ten PFAS compounds that appear to be replacements for legacy PFAS previously used in industrial processes in the area. The researchers used these analytical findings to develop contour maps of the presence of new PFAS compounds and legacy PFAS compounds, with the highest concentrations closest to potential industrial sources identified by NJDEP. 

EPA was approached by members of the rural community of Hoosick Falls, N.Y. about perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in their drinking water above the EPA health advisory level that was then in effect. EPA has been working collaboratively with the community and with the state since the agency became involved. New York State addressed the drinking water issue by requiring a treatment system and investigating facilities and landfills in the area as potential sources. In 2017, EPA also added the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics (SGPP) McCaffrey Street site to the NPL. New York State is the lead agency for all sites in Hoosick Falls, with the New York State Department of Health leading efforts regarding public water supply issues. In March 2019, at the request of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), EPA’s Office of Research and Development sampled emissions to characterize potential residual PFAS and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) air releases from the SGPP-McCaffrey Street facility. In December 2019, NYSDEC reported EPA’s findings to the Mayor and the community that the emissions are free of PFOA and other long-chain legacy perfluorinated carboxylic acids.

Through its Superfund program, EPA has sampled for PFAS compounds at a number of NPL sites, many at the request of the state. In New York, the state requested that sampling occur at approximately 80 federal NPL sites. For the sites on Long Island, EPA performed the sampling and provided the samples to the state for analysis. In New Jersey, approximately 18 sites have been sampled as part of regular site investigations. The data has been shared with the state.

While EPA is not the federal lead for PFOS contamination at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y., EPA has a close partnership with Newburgh and continues to monitor progress at the site. The fire-fighting foam from a fire training area is a potential source for the PFAS contamination that has been found in Washington Lake, a drinking water source for the city of Newburgh. The Air National Guard has been investigating contamination on their property. New York State has the lead on overseeing the cleanup and the work to address the drinking water. On February 11, 2020, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) began an exposure assessment of PFAS in drinking water near the Stewart Air National Guard.

Background

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been in use since the 1940s. PFAS are found in a wide array of consumer and industrial products. PFAS manufacturing and processing facilities, facilities using PFAS in production of other products, airports, and military installations are some of the contributors of PFAS releases into the air, soil, and water. Due to their widespread use and persistence in the environment, most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS. There is evidence that continued exposure above specific levels to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health effects.

As part of EPA’s aggressive efforts to address these risks, the agency issued the PFAS Action Plan in February 2019. The Action Plan is the agency’s first multi-media, multi-program, national research, management, and risk communication plan to address a challenge like PFAS. The plan responds to the extensive public input the agency received during the PFAS National Leadership Summit, multiple community engagements and through the public docket. The PFAS Action Plan outlines the processes and tools EPA is using to assess the PFAS risk and assist states, tribes and communities in addressing their unique situations.

For more information about PFAS, please visit: www.epa.gov/pfas

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2

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Contact: [email protected]

Trump EPA Continues to Aggressively Address PFAS on the Federal, State, and Local Level

PHILADELPHIA (July 29, 2020) — Aggressively addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continues to be an active and ongoing priority for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  In the Mid-Atlantic Region, as part of the PFAS Action Plan , EPA is helping states and local communities in the region target PFAS reductions and protect public health.

“With federal technical assistance efforts underway across the country, the Trump Administration is bringing much needed support to state, tribal, and local governments as part of the agency’s unprecedented efforts under the PFAS Action Plan,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “These partnerships allow for collaboration, encourage cutting edge research, and information sharing—ensuring that our joint efforts are effective and protective of public health.”

“EPA is collaborating with our state and local partners in the Mid-Atlantic Region to address PFAS and mitigate risks to communities,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio.  “Our collective efforts are making a difference in determining necessary actions to protect public health and the environment.”

EPA Provides Help Where It Is Needed

EPA has formed partnerships with states, tribes, and local communities across the country. These joint projects allow EPA to take the knowledge of its world class scientists and apply it in a collaborative fashion where it counts most.

Examples of this federal, state and local cooperation in EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region include:

• EPA’s Superfund program manages and provides oversight of Department of Defense (DOD) actions at a complex PFAS contamination issue in Southeast Pennsylvania in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP).  The contamination stems from the former Naval Air Development Center and the Willow Grove Naval Air and Air Reserve Station, which are located about two miles apart from each other.  Releases from these sites impacted private and public drinking water and surface water with PFAS. In response to levels of PFAS above EPA’s Health Advisory in public and private drinking water, EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region, on behalf of the DOD, took the lead in rapidly providing an alternative water supply and conducted sampling of drinking water at hundreds of homes. Through extensive coordination among federal, state and local authorities, known drinking water exposures have been eliminated and PFAS contributions to surface water mitigated. EPA and PADEP continue to evaluate studies and response actions related to PFAS from these and other potential sites nearby.  The work is being conducted by the DOD using their Superfund authorities. EPA also works with various stakeholders including Townships, water providers and the public to ensure their issues and concerns are addressed. EPA and PADEP continue to work together coordinating input on the investigations, response actions, and community updates at these sites.

  Involvement of the affected community is a critical component in response planning and activities. EPA staff along with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry conducted and assisted DOD in planning and executing community meetings and information sessions. EPA also provided information in response to requests from community members and other stakeholders including local, state and federal representatives, township officials and the media.
   

• At the request of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), EPA scientists analyzed PFAS samples collected during air emission testing at an industrial facility near Parkersburg. The results helped demonstrate the effectiveness of emissions controls for GenX and other legacy perfluorinated carboxylic acids and allowed the WVDEP to make the appropriate regulatory decisions.
   
• At the Blades Groundwater Site, in the Town of Blades, Delaware, EPA  uncovered new information that indicated that PFAS compounds were used at a former chrome-plating facility. Releases from the facility potentially affect municipal drinking water wells and residential wells near the site.  Based on EPA’s discovery, rather than closing out evaluation of the site, PFAS sampling was conducted by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and confirmed the presence of PFAS contamination in municipal drinking water wells  above the EPA Health Advisory Level.  EPA worked closely with DNREC, other state and local agencies, and rapidly assessed and expedited several investigative actions at Blades, including residential well assessments to determine if any residential wells near the former chrome-plating facility have been impacted  by PFAS. Concurrently, DNREC coordinated response actions to provide the Town of Blades an alternate source of safe drinking water. EPA’s diligent collaboration and partnership with Delaware also resulted in proposing the Blades Groundwater site for inclusion on the National Priorities List.

EPA Continues Innovative Approaches to Studying PFAS

EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region is collaborating in a Regional Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (RESES) project. EPA’s Office of Research and Development and EPA Region 2 have spearheaded the project and other collaborators include the states of New York and New Jersey. The RESES project is called “Investigation of the Factors Influencing the Fate and Transport of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and the Development of an Approach to Determine Soil Screening Levels Protective of Groundwater.” The goal of the research is to develop an understanding of the behavior of select PFAS compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, in various geologic and geochemical settings so that more accurate models can be developed to predict PFAS movement in the subsurface and potential impact to drinking water aquifers. The field portion of this study will include sampling at the Valmont TCE Superfund Site located in Hazleton, PA, which is also contaminated with PFAS.

EPA’s regional actions complement the efforts being made to address PFAS nationwide. In July alone, EPA has made significant progress implementing the PFAS Action Plan—the most comprehensive cross-agency plan ever to address an emerging chemical of concern.  For the latest actions EPA has taken nationwide to address PFAS https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/trump-epa-continues-aggressively-address-pfas-federal-state-and-local-level

For more on EPA’s PFAS research https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/research-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas 

EPA Awards State of Texas More Than $3.8 Million to
Manage Water Pollution

Media contacts: Jennah Durant or Joe Hubbard, [email protected] or 214 665-2200

DALLAS – (July 29, 2020) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a grant of $3,887,500 to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board. The funding will support management programs for nonpoint source (NPS) water pollution, which is caused when rainfall or snowmelt carries pollutants into rivers, lakes, and other waterbodies.

“Protecting Texas’ valuable water resources from runoff pollution takes coordinated effort from many partners,” said Regional Administrator Ken McQueen. “The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board continues to play a vital part in achieving this goal and keeping watersheds, rivers and lakes clean for communities and the environment.”

This funding supports the state of Texas’ NPS pollution management program, focusing on watersheds with water quality impairments caused by polluted runoff from nonpoint sources. NPS implementation projects include best management practice installations for animal wastes, sediment, pesticide and fertilizer control; other structural and non-structural practices; watershed planning, monitoring, technology demonstrations; and education and outreach programs.

Unlike pollution from industrial facilities and sewage treatment plants, NPS pollution does not come from a specific place. As precipitation moves over or through the ground, it picks up debris and pollutants and deposits them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground water. NPS pollution can include excess fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides; oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff; sediment; drainage from abandoned mines; and bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet waste and faulty septic systems. States report that NPS pollution is the leading remaining cause of water quality problems.

More about EPA’s work in Texas: https://www.epa.gov/tx

More about nonpoint source pollution: https://www.epa.gov/nps

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central  

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