Chicago Area Towns Testing Above New EPA PFAS Standards in Drinking Water

Some towns in the Chicago area are testing above the new EPA PFAS, or forever chemicals, in drinking water standard, including Cary and Channahon. There is no safe level of forever chemicals in water, just like there's no safe level of lead in drinking water, but experts in Illinois say this new federal rule is a crucial step to reduce these dangerous chemicals that can severely impact health.

"This is a set of chemicals that has been used in cookware, fire retardant foam, all kinds of things that permeate our society," said Howard Learner, president of the Environmental Law and Policy Center. PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances from garbage and pollution, don't break down in the environment, and can cause cancers and other major health issues. "There are a lot of communities in Illinois where, unfortunately, there's too much PFAS contamination in the drinking water supply," Learner said. "We're starting with this six, because with this six we have the best science and data to design these health standards," an EPA administrator said. "So what EPA is doing is we're measuring twice, and we're cutting once. This is the first of six, and we're going to continue until we get to all of them." On Wednesday, the EPA announced new guidelines for acceptable levels of PFAS in water systems and a billion dollars of investment to help communities monitor and reduce those chemicals over the next five years

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EPA Sets Limits on PFAS Chemicals in Drinking WaterThe Environmental Protection Agency has finalized limits on certain common types of PFAS chemicals in drinking water. It is the first time a nationwide limit on so-called forever chemicals have been imposed on water providers. EPA Administrator Michael Regan called it the biggest action the agency has ever taken on PFAS, saying the rule will reduce exposure for 100 million people. The regulation represents a new era for public health and drinking water. The Biden administration has also proposed new rules that would force utilities to make tap water safer. Utilities are alarmed at these new requirements and the billions of dollars they will cost. Here are the essential things to know about the family of chemicals and EPA's latest action: PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and have now spread into the nation's air, water and soil. They were manufactured by companies such as 3M, Chemours and others because they were incredibly useful.
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