Spokane airport (finally) hands its shoes to state regulators

https://tconnor.substack.com/p/fridays-postcard-and-the-spokane Finally…Eighty-three months have passed since PFAS “forever chemicals” were detected in groundwater at Spokane International Airport (SIA). On this timeline—against the backdrop of a years-long cover-up and the airport’s ‘get-off-my-lawn’ blame-shifting —today is significant. For the first time, SIA representatives are meeting with state Department of Ecology officials to begin implementing a cleanup plan for the notorious PFAS water pollution, a task that will likely extend well beyond the nine square miles encompassed by the airport’s boundaries. Continue reading Spokane airport (finally) hands its shoes to state regulators

PFAS Enforcement Discretion and Settlement Policy Under CERCLA

PFAS Enforcement Discretion and Settlement Policy Under CERCLA | US EPA Memorandum provides direction about how the EPA will exercise its enforcement discretion under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) in matters involving per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances … Continue reading PFAS Enforcement Discretion and Settlement Policy Under CERCLA

Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Critical Rule to Clean up PFAS Contamination to Protect Public Health

EPA action designates two widely used PFAS as hazardous substances under the Superfund law, improving transparency and accountability to clean up PFAS contamination in communities Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Critical Rule to Clean up PFAS Contamination to Protect Public Health | … Continue reading Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Critical Rule to Clean up PFAS Contamination to Protect Public Health

CERCLA PFAS Enforcement Listening Sessions

Key takeaways:

EPA will focus enforcement efforts on federal facilities, including military bases, and manufacturers

EPA proposes exempting from CERCLA liability State, tribal, or municipal airports, and tribal or local fire departments, in exchange for full cooperation with investigations.

The first is good news for residents near Ault Field and OLF whose water has been contaminated by firefighting activities at these Navy facilities, and the second for others whose water may have been contaminated by non-military firefighting activities. Continue reading CERCLA PFAS Enforcement Listening Sessions

2023 EPA Proposal to Regulate PFAS in
Drinking Water

What did EPA announce?
On March 14, 2023, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule for
regulating six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. Over the next year, the
proposed rule will undergo an extensive public review and comment process. The final regulation may
differ from the proposal.
EPA proposed maximum contamination levels (MCLs) of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for perfluorooctane
sulfonate (PFOS) and four parts per trillion (ppt) perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Continue reading 2023 EPA Proposal to Regulate PFAS in
Drinking Water