On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) finalized new drinking water standards for six PFAS compounds, following up on the proposed rule from March of the previous year. The new standards limit PFOA and PFOS levels to 4 parts per trillion. They’ve also set a cap of 10 parts per trillion for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX chemicals. For mixtures containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and PFBS, a combined Hazard Index of 1.0 will be used to measure safety.
In addition to these standards, the USEPA is allocating $1 billion to assist states and territories with PFAS testing and treatment initiatives.
Just two days before, on April 8, the USEPA released Interim Guidance for the Destruction and Disposal of PFAS. This document reviews three technologies—underground injection, landfills, and thermal treatment—and provides options for temporary storage. While it sets no mandatory requirements, the USEPA is calling for public feedback over the next 180 days and plans to revise the guidance within three years.
HOW ENVIROSCIENCE CAN HELP YOUR PROJECT’S PFAS CHALLENGES
The fight against PFAS pollution is a testament to the ongoing efforts to protect our planet and public health. With the USEPA’s recent regulatory updates and the expertise of our team’s professionals, EnviroScience stands ready to lead the charge. We are not just responding to environmental challenges; we’re anticipating them, ensuring our clients and communities can confidently navigate the future of environmental stewardship.
Visit our PFAS Sampling & Mitigation Services webpage for more information on how our robust team of experts can help identify solutions to your projects where PFAS are an area of concern. Under the guidance of Dr. Kevin Custer, EnviroScience will help you navigate your project’s PFAS challenges.
Few environmental firms in the country retain EnviroScience’s degree of scientific know-how, talent, and capability under one roof. The diverse backgrounds of our biologists, environmental engineers, scientists, and divers enable us to provide comprehensive in-house services and an integrated approach to solving environmental challenges—saving clients time, reducing costs, and ensuring high-quality results.
Our client guarantee is to provide “Excellence in Any Environment,” meaning no matter what we do, we will deliver on our Core Values of respect, client advocacy, quality work, accountability, teamwork, and safety. EnviroScience was created with the concept that we could solve complex problems by empowering great people. This concept still holds true today as our scientists explore the latest environmental legislation and regulations and incorporate the most up-to-date technology to gather and report data.
EnviroScience expertise includes but is not limited to aquatic surveys (including macroinvertebrate surveys and biological assessments); ecological restoration; ecological services (including impact assessments, invasive species control, and water quality monitoring); emergency response; engineering and compliance services; endangered mussel surveys; laboratory and analysis; stormwater management; threatened and endangered species; and wetlands and streams (including delineation and mitigation). Further, EnviroScience is one of the few biological firms in the country that is a general member of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) and offers full-service commercial diving services.
