EPA gives Michigan $37 million for PFAS
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $37 million to address contaminants in Michigan drinking water, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, PFAS are man-made chemicals often used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1940s, including in nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics and carpets, and some cosmetics.
The grant funds will be available through the EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program and will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.
The funds are given from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. EPA Administrator Michael Regan welcomed the funds.
“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” Regan said in a statement. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies.”
EPA announced the funds for Michigan as part of an allotment of $2 billion to states and territories that can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow welcomed the funds.
“People in communities across Michigan have experienced the fear and frustration of finding out that contaminants like PFAS now threaten their home, community and health of their families” Stabenow said in a statement. “This funding is critical for the cleanup of these contaminants. It will help communities who don’t have the resources to address the problem on their own, clean up the contaminants so that residents have safe drinking water that we all take for granted.”
In 2016, The EPA set a lifetime health advisory of 70 parts per trillion for PFAO and PFOS. ATSDR says scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.
However, ATSDR says that since 2002, PFOS and PFOA production and use has declined, as has PFAS levels in blood samples.
