"The federal government has now defined how much is too much when it comes to PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in drinking water. But that still leaves a lot of leeway as to how states will monitor or regulate PFAS found in rivers and streams.
In Virginia, laws passed so far require agencies to find and address specific sources of PFAS pollution when they have contaminated a public drinking water system. But clean water advocates want the state to require more monitoring now at facilities known to be possible sources of PFAS so that action can be taken more quickly when additional federal limits are finalized.
PFAS, or per– and polyfluoroalkyl substances, include thousands of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used since the 1940s in a variety of industrial and consumer products. That includes firefighting foam, nonstick cookware, water– and stain-repellent fabrics and some food packaging.
PFAS have been found in the drinking water or groundwater of nearly 2,800 communities nationwide, including dozens in the six-state Chesapeake Bay watershed. Much of the contamination has been found near military facilities or airports where firefighting foam laden with PFAS was deployed or stored."
Whitney Pipkin and Lauren Hines-Acosta report for the Bay Journal October 28, 2024.
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