EPA Issues New Drinking Water Health Advisories: See Maryland Impacts

MARYLAND — Human-made “forever chemicals” found in water supplies across the country, including in Maryland, are more dangerous than previously thought, and local utilities should install filters to remove them or at least tell customers how dangerous they are, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday.

Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are known as “forever chemicals” because of their durability in high heat and water, which means they remain in the environment for years without breaking down. They’re found in a range of food and consumer products, and have been linked to infertility, thyroid problems and several types of cancer.

No state is untouched by PFAS contamination, according to a map compiled by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization sometimes criticized for exaggerating certain toxicity risks. But a growing body of scholarly and government research backs the assertion of both the EPA and EWG that even at low levels currently, these chemicals can cause harm over a person’s lifetime.

The map released by EWG showed numerous Maryland cities and several military sites that were identified as being at risk. Here's a sampling:

• Allegany County, Maryland (Camp Baker)
• Fort Detrick, Maryland
• Baltimore County, Maryland (Camp Fretterd Readiness Center)
• Baltimore County, Maryland (SSG Isadore S. Jachman Reserve Center)
• Ballenger Creek, Maryland (Frederick Readiness Center)
• Baltimore County, Maryland (Gunpowder Military Reservation)
• St Inigoes, Maryland (ST INIGOES MD NAVELEXSYS)
• Queen Anne's County, Maryland (Queen Anne Readiness Center)
• Chesapeake Beach, Maryland (US Naval Research Laboratory Chesapeake Bay Detachment)
• Fort Meade (CDP), Maryland (Fort Meade)
• Annapolis, Maryland (Annapolis BRAC)
• Silver Spring, Maryland (NSWC White Oak)
• Silver Spring, Maryland (White Oak - Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Detachment)
• Andrews, Maryland (Joint Base Andrews)
• Indian Head, Maryland
• Charles County, Maryland (La Plata Readiness Center)
• Welcome, Maryland (Blossom Point)

The best thing people can do right now is install one of several commercially available filters, but they need to make sure the filter removes PFAS.

Melanie Benesh, legislative attorney for the EWG, told The Washington Post the EPA’s advisory “should set off alarm bells for consumers and regulators.”

“These proposed advisory levels demonstrate that we must move much faster to dramatically reduce exposures to these toxic chemicals,” Benesh said.

Communities with PFAS contamination may be eligible for funding under a $1 billion grant program included in the Biden administration’s bipartisan infrastructure package approved by Congress last year.

In March, the Maryland State Senate voted unanimously to pass the George Walter Taylor Act. SB273/HB275 is named for George “Walter” Taylor, a 31-year veteran of the fire service who died from occupational health cancers linked to PFAS exposure, according to a news release from Maryland PRIG.

The bipartisan bill restricts the use of PFAS chemicals in food packaging and rugs and carpets and switches to safer alternatives for fire-fighting foams. It also requires notification for firefighter turnout gear that contains PFAS and stops the landfilling and incineration of PFAS foam.

An amendment was added to the bill to create a state buyback program for PFAS foam to help municipalities and counties with the financial burden of storing the toxic foam.

In April, Gov. Larry Hogan signed the bill into law.

U.S. manufacturers have phased out PFOA and PFOS, two compounds found in the cluster of forever chemicals widely used in nonstick cookware, moisture-repellent fabrics and flame-retardant equipment. A few uses remain, and they’re ubiquitous in the environment, having accumulated since the 1940s, National Public Radio reported.

Even at levels so low they can’t be detected in drinking water, these compounds pose a health risk, the EPA said in the revised advisory. The agency lowered the allowable limits of these two compounds, immediately drawing fire from the chemical industry

The American Chemical Council, which represents PFAS producers such as 3M and Dupont, said Wednesday the EPA’s new standards “will have sweeping implications” on public policy, and “cannot be achieved with existing treatment technology and, in fact, are below levels that can be reliably detected using existing EPA methods.”

Further, the industry group questioned the science behind the revised drinking water health advisory, saying it should have been delayed until the agency’s own Science Advisory Board could review dramatically reduced toxicity levels that are “3,000 to 17,000 times lower” than those set in 2016.
“Getting the science right is of critical importance,” the American Chemical Council said in a statement.

Health advocates say the problem can’t be overstated. Forever chemicals have already prompted officials in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan to issue advisories against eating certain fish caught in Lake Superior.