Help Washington State Department of Health Understand Your PFAS Gardening Needs!

Hello all,  Our team at Washington State Department of Health (DOH) heard from community members around the state that they need better, more actionable advice on the safety of eating home-grown fruits and vegetables from gardens watered with PFAS-contaminated water. … Continue reading Help Washington State Department of Health Understand Your PFAS Gardening Needs!

Ecology releases four-year statewide funding strategy for PFAS

PFAS Statewide Funding Strategy: Four-Year Plan for Prevention, Reduction, and Mitigation in Washington State The legislature asked Dept of Ecology, in consultation with Dept of Health, to develop a funding strategy. The current state budget forecast shows a shortfall, so this big budget need arrives in a belt-tightening moment. It doesn’t mean it won’t get funded. The legislature will need to hear from impacted communities about whether they support these strategies, what is most important to do first, and if you think they should do something else instead. Continue reading Ecology releases four-year statewide funding strategy for PFAS

A PFAS Sandwich

At the end of the last update, we were left with three open issues: the Military’s response to the EPA’s new National Drinking Water Standard for PFAS; lawsuits challenging that standard; and testing of private wells with non-military sources of PFAS contamination. The last few months have brought us positive developments on two of these, and negative on the other. I’ll slide the bad news in between two slices of good. Continue reading A PFAS Sandwich

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

‘Not a finish line’: For water providers, new PFAS rule is first step

‘Not a finish line’: For water providers, new PFAS rule is first step | HeraldNet.com The EPA’s new rule only applies to water suppliers that serve 15 or more residents, known as “Group A” water systems. At least 1 million Washington residents have private wells or use smaller water suppliers, called “Group B” systems. The Safe Drinking Water Act doesn’t protect these wells, some of which are near Harrington Lagoon. Those wells also likely have PFAS contamination, Lovie said. “They’re not eligible for any of the loans or grants that Group A water systems can get to take care of … Continue reading ‘Not a finish line’: For water providers, new PFAS rule is first step