EPA Announces New Major Health Advisory Levels For Four Critical PFAS Chemicals

Contact

Cindy Carr, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a dramatic revision to its drinking water limits for four toxic PFAS chemicals. The agency is lowering its lifetime health advisory levels for two PFAS chemicals - PFOS and PFOA - by more than 1000-fold to 20 and 4 parts per quadrillion, respectively. EPA is also setting new health advisories for two common PFAS chemicals that were invented as replacements - known as GenX and PFBS, to 10 and 2000 parts per trillion respectively. 

EPA’s announcement is based on recent scientific reviews that include hundreds of studies of PFAS low dose toxicity to humans and animals. The proposed values for PFOS and PFOA are below current measurement levels, meaning any detectable amount of either chemical in drinking water exceeds EPA’s recommendation. The interim values will prompt additional pollution testing nationally, water filtration or blending at contaminated sites, and potentially the abandonment of some polluted drinking water wells. 

Advocates and people directly impacted by PFAS pollution are attending the third National PFAS Contamination Conference this week in Wilmington, North Carolina, and shared these reflections:

"Today, Biden's EPA restored our faith in humanity," said Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear. "These 'forever chemicals' are toxic at trace amounts. We knew it five years ago when our friends were getting sick and dying. There's still a lot of work needed before our community can heal and we plan to keep holding the EPA accountable."

“EPA’s new health advisory values are completely mind-blowing,” said Christy McGillivray of Sierra Club Michigan. “They must prompt a redoubled effort by EPA, the Department of Defense, and state governments to keep PFAS out of the rivers, lakes, and groundwater that we drink.”

“In my family, there are at least seven military veterans who, along with their families, have been exposed to PFAS without their knowledge while they were on active duty. Several have died of PFAS-related cancers,” said Mark Favors, Army Veteran and clean water advocate.  “While this announcement will help protect future servicemembers and families, it will not restore the damages to my family’s health.”

“This is an important milestone in the fight to protect public health,” said Anthony Spaniola, Co-Chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. “EPA has confirmed that there are effectively no safe levels of PFOS or PFAS and rejected the notion that newer PFAS chemicals GenX and PFBS are harmless. Now it is time for the Department of Defense to act with urgency and clean up the PFAS it created for millions of communities across the country.”

“We welcome this bold move by EPA’s Office of Water,” said Sonya Lunder, Sierra Club’s Senior Toxics Policy Advisor. “The Agency has promised that, ‘when we learn more about PFAS, we will do more,’ and we already know plenty. Let’s see the same decisive action to halt the production and use of PFAS chemicals, end the discharges of PFAS into our waterways, and stop the application of tainted sewage sludge on farmlands.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.