Michigan’s first drinking water standard for PFAS clears final hurdle
LANSING – The Michigan League of Conservation Voters today issued the following statement regarding Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS, which cleared the final step in the regulatory process today. The MCLs set Michigan’s first drinking water standard for toxic PFAS chemicals found in the drinking water of more than 1.9 million Michiganders. The new rules will take effect after a year-long rulemaking process by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
“Over the past year, Michiganders across the state have advocated for setting the strongest standards for PFAS in the country to protect Michigan communities from these dangerous forever chemicals,” said Bob Allison, deputy director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “These rules come at a time when studies show exposure to PFAS chemicals is linked to immune deficiencies that exacerbate the impacts of Covid-19. The standards that take effect today are based on sound science and will make Michigan a national leader on protections against PFAS. We applaud EGLE and Gov. Whitmer for working to protect our drinking water and the health of our communities.”
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. They build up in our bodies and pose threats to our health, including cancer, thyroid conditions, auto-immune diseases and reproductive issues.
The new standards set limits for the following PFAS chemicals:
- PFNA (6-parts per trillion)
- PFOA (8-parts per trillion)
- PFOS (16-parts per trillion)
- PFHxS (51-parts per trillion)
- GenX (370-parts per trillion)
- PFBS (420-parts per trillion)
- PFHxA (400,000-parts per trillion)
More information about the MCLs can be found here.