‘One piece of the puzzle’

Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality announced it has added six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to its list of regulated contaminants and will begin creating limitations to prevent residents’ exposure to them.

The new regulations would apply to PFAS pollution in rivers, lakes, soil, and groundwater, according to The Oregon Capital Chronicle. The publication added that the state’s Environmental Quality Commission is expected to vote on the proposed addition of these chemicals to the state’s list and adopting new regulations on or after May 21. 

“We need this rulemaking to hold parties responsible for contamination and to address that contamination,” Sarah Van Glubt, a manager in the DEQ environmental cleanup program, told The Oregon Capital Chronicle. “Otherwise, right now, everything is voluntary. We can’t require parties to test and treat for these chemicals.”

PFAS are a group of thousands of human-made chemicals found in a variety of consumer products, such as non-stick cookware and water-resistant clothing. These chemicals have infiltrated our living spaces through the products we use, and they are in our water, air, soil, and food. For instance, The Oregon Capital Chronicle reported that PFAS has been identified in 35 of Oregon’s public drinking water systems.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to these “forever chemicals” have been associated with a number of serious health problems, including decreased fertility, increased risk of certain cancers, and reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections. PFAS can even be passed from mothers to their babies through breastfeeding, according to research published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.

Oregon is not the only state aiming to reduce the harmful impacts of PFAS. For instance, Massachusetts and Connecticut have banned the sale of firefighting equipment that contains these chemicals. Meanwhile, two Oklahoma bills aim to keep PFAS off of farmland by stopping farmers from using sewage-based fertilizers, which can be contaminated with these toxic chemicals.

Back in Oregon, Van Glubt said DEQ also has a strategic plan in development, which will combine the efforts of its air, water, biosolids, and other teams, as well as work being done at other agencies, to deal with PFAS.

“This rulemaking really is just addressing one piece of the puzzle,” she told The Oregon Capital Chronicle. “There are other issues at play with PFAS that will need to be addressed.”

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