Amara Strande of Oakdale, Minn., died last year from a rare cancer possibly linked to “forever” chemicals. She was just 20 years old.
This Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the first ever national drinking standard for these chemicals, per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS.
“These actions will help tackle PFAS pollution that has devastated communities like Oakdale, outside of St. Paul, Minnesota, where decades of PFAS-containing waste dumped by a chemical plant has contaminated the community’s drinking water,” said the White House in a statement. “In this area, cancer was found to be a far more likely cause of death in children than in neighboring areas.”
Forever chemicals are used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. They can be found on clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces, the insulation of electrical wire and in our drinking water.
While contamination from 3M may have contributed to high exposure near Oakdale, the U.S. Geological Survey said last summer that it is far from the only community exposed to PFAS chemicals. It found that forever chemicals could be found in at least 45% of the nation’s tap water.
According to the White House, “forever chemicals” are linked to cancers, liver and heart damage, and developmental impacts in children. They also remain in the environment for long periods of time
Per the EPA, the new standard sets enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels at 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS (types of forever chemicals), individually. This measure “will protect 100 million people from PFAS exposure, prevent tens of thousands of serious illnesses, and save lives,” according to the White Hosue.
In addition to being the first safe water drinking standard for PFAS, the new rule is the first for any new contaminants since 1996. President Joe Biden secured “historic” levels of funding for the new standard, the White House said. On Wednesday, an additional $1 billion through the Investing in America agenda was announced to help with PFAS detection.
“This funding is part of the $9 billion in dedicated funding through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water – the largest-ever investment in tackling PFAS pollution,” the White House explained. Other programs from the administration to help reduce PFAS exposure includes a $33 million award for Tucson, Arizona to treat its PFAS-contaminated drinking water wells, and funds that are part of $12 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for drinking water investments.
Earlier this year, Audacy reported on efforts to remove forever chemicals from wastewater through a grant provided by the National Science Foundation.