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Response to U.S. EPA’s Proposed National Drinking Water Standards for PFAS

Today, Center for Environmental Health, Toxic Free North Carolina, Cape Fear River Watch, and Clean Cape Fear responded to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Proposed Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. The regulation is a victory for community organizers that have long demanded EPA protect the most impacted communities from the health effects of toxic PFAS in their drinking water. However, the authors of today’s comment petitioned EPA in 2020 to make the chemical manufacturer, Chemours, pay for testing of the health effects of 54 PFAS detected in the Cape Fear River. Our response supports the proposed regulation overall while reminding the agency of its promise to protect communities hit hardest by PFAS and hold polluters accountable. The only way to do that is to make Chemours pay.

“We reiterate that granting our petition will supply Cape Fear communities with the studies they and their doctors need in order to make decisions based on the risks of PFAS and mixtures detected in the river now,” said the letter. “When PFAS is no longer detected in the drinking water of the most disadvantaged communities in North Carolina, it will surely confirm a reduction of these ‘forever chemicals’ in all of our bodies and the environment.”