States are beginning to act on what one industry expert called this year’s “headline emerging issue” for the environmental sector—the cleanup of fluorinated chemicals in at least 40 states that could affect at least 1,500 drinking water systems. While some sites await federal standards on the category of chemicals known as PFAS or PFCs, state standards provide clarity until or unless a more stringent federal standard is established.
New Jersey became the first state to establish a maximum containment level (MCL) in drinking water for perfloronanoic acid (PFNA) of 13 parts per trillion, which went into effect Sept. 4. The state is expected to establish an MCL for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) soon. It approved a 14 ppt limit for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in November 2017, but it has yet to go into effect.