The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) has announced a 60-day public comment period on a new proposed rule to set maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.
The proposed rule would set an MCL of 14 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and an MCL of 18 ppt for PFOS, which are much stricter limits compared to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s current lifetime Health Advisory Level (HAL) of 70 ppt for PFOS and PFOA combined.
As discussed in several of our earlier newsletters, PFOA and PFOS are two types of PFAS, which are emerging contaminants that have been found in many public drinking water supplies and are extremely persistent in the environment.
The comment period began on February 26, 2022 and will close on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
Comments may be submitted to the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) through DEP’s eComment system at http://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment. Comments may also be submitted via e-mail at RegComments@pa.gov. Each comment must include a subject heading of the proposed rulemaking and the name and address of the person submitting the comment. Written comments may be mailed to the Environmental Quality Board, P.O. Box 8477, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8477.