Environmental Protection Agency taking action on dangerous ‘forever chemicals’

The federal government is taking new steps to protect people in Ohio and other states from “forever chemicals.”

PFOA and PFOS are two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals, which are used in common products such as nonstick coatings, food packaging and firefighting foam. They linger in the environment and are linked to increased cancers and other health disorders.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule that would designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous.

Jennifer Hill, associate director at the Great Lakes Regional Center of the National Wildlife Federation, said it would create a federal standard for PFAS cleanup.

“People care deeply about access to safe, clean, affordable water in Ohio,” Hill said. “We care about the Great Lakes. We care about iconic water bodies like the Ohio River that have well-documented PFAS contamination. And the more we look for PFAS contamination, unfortunately, the more we’re finding it.”

Research has shown more than 90% of Americans have PFAS in their bloodstream. Drinking water testing conducted as part of Ohio’s 2019 PFAS Action Plan found 6% of public water systems in the state had detectable levels of PFAS.

Hill pointed out the National Wildlife Federation’s research on the impact of PFAS in the Great Lakes Region suggests reduced reproductive success in bird species and other negative health impacts in fish and other wildlife.

PFAS “can be linked to higher rates of certain cancers, higher cholesterol levels, suppressed immune systems, fertility issues in women, and weakened antibody responses to vaccinations among children,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“So this rule really is a step in the right direction,” Hill said. “To ensure that we’re safeguarding our drinking water and also the natural resources that make the Great Lakes such a special place to live.”

Separate from the proposed rule, Hill said the EPA recently updated lifetime health advisories for several PFAS chemicals, including PFOA and PFOS.

“They put them in the .004 and .02 parts per trillion respectively,” Hill said. “That is not even one drop in an Olympic-size swimming pool. So what the EPA is saying is that there’s really no level of these chemicals that’s safe for humans or wildlife to be around.”

In April, the U.S. Department of Defense enacted a moratorium on burning material containing PFAS. A hazardous waste incinerator operated by Heritage Thermal Services along Saint George Street in East Liverpool is one of several sites across the country that was to stop burning PFAS until the finalization of new guidance for their safe disposal.

The East Liverpool incinerator has been federally contracted to burn aqueous film forming foam, which was used as a firefighting tool by the U.S. military and at airports and industrial sites nationwide. That foam contains PFAS.

— Mahoning Matters contributed to this report.