PFOS Archives

At Least 12 Military Bases Contaminating Water Supply With Toxic PFAS

June 7, 2022/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Guardianby Tom Perkins

Dangerous levels of toxic PFAS are contaminating water supplies in areas around at least 12 military bases, new Department of Defense testing has revealed, drawing concern from public health advocates that the DoD is not doing enough to protect the public.

The data released this week by the military shows levels for five kinds of PFAS compounds at what Scott Faber, vice-president of government affairs for Environmental Working Group, characterized as “extremely high” levels, and he said they present a health threat to residents living nearby.

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PFAS Water Regulations in California Closer to Becoming Reality

October 4, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kristiene Gong /The National Law Reviewby John Gardella

On September 28, 2021, the state of California (through the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment) held a virtual workshop for proposed Public Health Goals (PHGs) for two types of PFAS – PFOA and PFOS. The release of proposed PHGs is extremely significant for any company situated in California, as PHGs are used to create enforceable drinking water standards and limits for groundwater contamination.

California May Regulate ‘Forever’ Chemicals in Water Before EPA

March 17, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Bloomberg Lawby Emily C. Dooley

California water suppliers could face state limits on the concentration of two so-called “forever chemicals” before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets national standards. Maximum contaminant levels for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are on track to be in place in California in 2023, Darrin Polhemus, deputy director for drinking water programs at the State Water Resources Control Board, said during a board meeting Tuesday about agency priorities for the year.

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Well Water Throughout California Contaminated with ‘Forever Chemicals’

November 19, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /CalMattersby Rachel Becker

In the weeks before the coronavirus began tearing through California, the city of Commerce made an expensive decision: It shut down part of its water supply.

Like nearly 150 other public water systems in California, the small city on the outskirts of Los Angeles had detected “forever chemicals” in its well water.

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Creating ‘Forever Chemicals’: A Guide to PFAS Companies (2)

February 13, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Bloomberg Environment (Arlington, Va.)by Sylvia Carignan

The billion-dollar companies that made and used chemicals now popping up in water supplies around the country are switching to newer alternatives, but they haven’t escaped liabilities for historic environmental contamination.

The chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, have become ubiquitous in everyday consumer goods as well as in specialized industrial applications. For some of the companies, including 3M Co. and the Chemours Co., liabilities from their PFAS operations have negatively affected the value of their stock.

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State Board Establishes New Stricter Standard for PFOA and PFOS

February 10, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /California Water News Daily

The State Water Resources Control Board announced yesterday it will reduce the level of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking water that trigger responses by local water systems. Based on recommendations from the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment the Board lowered response levels to 10 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and 40 ppt for PFOS. Previously, the response level was 70 ppt for the total concentration of the two contaminants combined.

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California County Shuts Down Fifth of Water Wells Over PFAS

February 6, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Bloomberg Environmentby Emily C. Dooley

California wants to slash the allowable levels in drinking water for two “forever chemical” compounds, immediately prompting agencies supplying water to 2.5 million residents in Orange County to remove a fifth of their wells from service.

The State Water Resources Control board Thursday said it planned to dramatically lower its response levels for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), though actual drinking water standards are still years away.

The response levels require water suppliers to install treatment, and remove wells from service if they exceed the thresholds. Notifying customers is required if districts plan to keep wells in service without treatment for an extended period.

Orange County oversees the area’s groundwater basin and provides water to 19 agencies, which rely on underground supplies for 77% of deliveries. The remainder comes from the Colorado River and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water to 19 million people in the region.

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No “Dark Water” in Valley Center

December 13, 2019/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /Valley Road Runner (Valley Center, Calif.)by David Ross

Last weekend a film called “Dark Water” opened in theaters, starring Mark Ruffalo as a corporate man who discovers that his company is responsible for putting bad chemicals into the public water supply. Predictable drama ensues.

The plot of “Dark Water” centers around the harmful human and animal health effects of PFAS and PFOS.

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