As PFAS Cases Persist, Wisconsin Takes Baby Steps Toward Regulating the Forever Chemicals

By Susan Bence | WUWM | January 4, 2022

Read the full article by Susan Bence (WUWM)

“Manufactured chemicals called PFAS can be found in many products, from stain-resistant carpeting to fast food packaging.

Wisconsin is now taking steps to regulate two of the estimated 9,000-plus varieties of PFAS.

Some states, including neighboring Michigan and Minnesota, have already begun regulating PFAS that are impacting water, land and those living in or on it.

The EPA issued a limit of 70 parts per trillion at the federal level, but it’s a health advisory, not a mandate. And while the agency pledges to implement a comprehensive PFAS plan, the process could drag on for years.

In Wisconsin, after months of review, the Department of Health Services proposed standards for two of the most studied PFAS chemicals: PFOA and PFOS.

The regulations would establish a combined 20 parts per trillion standard and apply to the ground, surface and drinking water.

Last month, the Department of Natural Resources invited public comment at two of three scheduled virtual hearings.

Every person who testified called the proposed standards an important first step toward testing and mitigating the multitude of PFAS chemicals.

Physician Susan Davidson with the Wisconsin Environmental Health Network said there’s no time to waste. She said children are being born pre-polluted.

‘The perspective of the fetus and young child in this discussion is extremely important because we have come to understand that many adult diseases including multiple types of cancer, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes can be traced to influences during fetal life,” Davidson said. “The fetus is exposed to every environmental toxin the mother is exposed to.'”…

This content provided by the PFAS Project.