In 2023, officials discovered PFAS in the water supply of Hermiston, the largest city in eastern Oregon. Two years later, officials have no plans to take immediate action. Oregon Public Radio I mentioned.
What is happening?
While the United States has known about PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” for decades, the Oregon Health Authority began limited testing for PFAS in 2021, following testing mandated by the EPA in select communities in 2013. Oregon expanded testing in 2023 and 2024 to test about 20% of public water supplies, according to OPB.
These tests revealed that Hermiston exceeded the maximum federal containment level for at least one of the chemicals used in perpetuity. However, Mark Morgan, Hermiston’s assistant city manager, told OPB that the city is taking a “wait and see” approach before further testing or addressing the contamination, because they don’t know where the PFAS is coming from and want to be cost-effective. Morgan stated that Hermiston’s water is safe to drink.
While there are health risks associated with PFAS exposure and guidelines for maximum PFAS levels in water, there are no penalties yet for PFAS contamination at Hermiston levels. under Biden administrationthe Environmental Protection Agency has finalized rules that set limits for PFAS contamination; However, these regulations stopped in the second period Trump administration.
According to Carrie Sallis, technical unit manager for the Oregon Health Authority’s Drinking Water Program, the state is waiting for a final ruling from the EPA before taking action.
Why is exposure to PFAS important?
PFAS, a broad-spectrum group of chemicals with different hazard profiles, are already present in hundreds of everyday items. From nonstick pans to our favorite raincoats, these chemicals have been an integral part of our lives for decades, and research has only recently begun to address the actual damage of our exposure levels.
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PFAS have been found in blood 97% of Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Exposure to certain PFAS has been linked to thyroid disease, infertility, high cholesterol, and increased risks of asthma and some types of cancer.
These persistent chemicals are also extremely difficult to filter from the water and our bodies—hence their nickname—making it expensive for environmental organizations to keep public drinking water clean.
What is being done about PFAS exposure?
Nonprofits are stepping in in Oregon as government officials delay action. Rural labor in Oregon He called For cleaner groundwater, as nitrate levels are also rising in local waterways, she reported ob.
Local governments also fund projects to connect homes to municipal water systems, which are more strictly regulated under the Clean Water Act. Additionally, the state is putting plans in place to test every water system for PFAS by the end of 2027, Sallis said at OPB. a report.
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