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PFAS

*Page last updated October 2020

State actions related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
(summary narrative on the resources linked and listed below)

2018: In May 2018, at EPA’s PFAS National Leadership Summit in Washington D.C., the agency announced a four-step action plan that included a plan to designate PFOS and PFOA as hazardous substances, developing groundwater cleanup recommendations for PFOS and PFOA for contaminated sites, evaluating the need to establish an MCL for PFOS and PFOA and taking action to develop toxicity values for GenX and PFBS. Iin May 2018 hosted listening sessions in several towns, including Horsham, PA, where levels of PFOS and PFOA were found in drinking water sources significantly higher than the 70ppt HAL. In response to significant engagement from communities in southeast Pennsylvania local to two specific DoD sites (Former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove and Former Naval Air Warfare Center), Gov. Wolf established a PFAS Action Team to study PFAS, manage releases, explore funding options for remediation and ensure safe drinking water. In November 2018, the Wolf Administration’s PFAS Action Team hosted its first meeting and invited representation from other states to speak on their state actions related to PFAS. During the 2017-2018 state legislative session, 10 pieces of legislation were introduced ranging from establishing an MCL to supporting remediation efforts. All were sunsetted at the end of 2018.

2019: In January 2019, PCIC hosted an educational forum with several members of the General Assembly to provide an overview of this broad class of chemicals. The EPA released its PFAS Action Plan in February 2019 which outlines the EPA’s planned next steps in regulating PFAS and remediating instances where releases have occurred including a draft proposal to list PFAS as a hazardous substance under CERCLA that is expected to be published by the end of Summer 2019, a draft regulatory determination setting an MCL for PFOS and PFOA that is expected by the end of 2019 (which will then be available for public comment) with the intention to issue an MCL by the end of 2020. PCIC submitted comments in response to the Wolf Administration PFAS Action Team open comment period in March 2019. PA DEP released a public water system sampling plan in April 2019 that includes a statewide program sampling approximately 400 sites for PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, PFHpA, PFBS. The Potential Source of Contamination (PSOC) site list includes military bases, fire training schools/sites, airports, landfills, manufacturing facilities (apparel, chemicals, electronics, fabricated metal, paper products, textiles and leather, upholstered furniture). Data collected will be used to help state set MCL. DEP plans to present revised risk based clean-up standards to EQB Fall 2019 that include standards to clean up PFBS, PFOS and PFOA in contaminated soil.

2020: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the sampling process and the full results are expected to be posted at the end of December. DEP staff have indicated there have been very few sample report findings which exceed the HAL of 70ppt. 

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