News Releases from Headquarters›Water (OW)
EPA to Hold New England Community Engagement on PFAS
WASHINGTON – On Monday, June 25, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will kick off the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) community engagements in Exeter, New Hampshire with a two-day public event. This event allows EPA to hear directly from New England communities, state, local, and tribal partners to take action on PFAS.
“Following the historic PFAS National Leadership Summit, it’s critical that EPA visit communities to hear directly from those impacted by PFAS,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “This is the next step in our commitment to address challenges with PFAS, and these visits will provide valuable insight for EPA’s efforts moving forward.”
| WHAT: | New England PFAS Community Engagement |
|---|---|
| WHEN: |
June 25, 2018 - Listening Session |
| WHERE: | Exeter High School 1 Blue Hawk Dr. Exeter, NH 03833 |
Both days will be open to the public and the press.
The New England Community Engagement event will consist of two sessions – a public listening session and PFAS working session – to hear from the public; provide tools to assist states, tribes, and local communities in addressing challenges with PFAS in the environment; and understand ways EPA can best support the work that’s being done at the state, local, and tribal level.
If you are interested in attending the event on June 25 and/or June 26, please register here: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/forms/pfas-community-engagement-exeter-nh. The public is invited to speak during the June 25 listening session. Those interested in speaking should sign up for a three-minute speaking slot while registering.
The full agenda will be made available in the upcoming days. Please check back at the PFAS Community Engagement website for further information leading up to the event. Citizens are also encouraged to submit written statements to the public docket at https://www.regulations.gov/ enter docket number: OW-2018-0270.
New Hampshire marks the first community engagement. Throughout the summer, EPA will visit and similarly engage with additional communities across the country. Information on these upcoming sessions will also be available on the EPA website.
At the PFAS National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. on May 22-23, Administrator Pruitt announced four actions EPA will take:
- EPA will initiate steps to evaluate the need for a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOA and PFOS. We will convene our federal partners and examine everything we know about PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.
- EPA is beginning the necessary steps to propose designating PFOA and PFOS as “hazardous substances” through one of the available statutory mechanisms, including potentially CERCLA Section 102.
- EPA is currently developing groundwater cleanup recommendations for PFOA and PFOS at contaminated sites and will complete this task by fall of this year.
- EPA is taking action in close collaboration with our federal and state partners to develop toxicity values for GenX and PFBS by this summer.
The public’s input is incredibly valuable and meaningful to EPA. Using information from the National Leadership Summit, public docket, and community engagements, EPA plans to develop a PFAS Management Plan for release later this year. In addition, a summary of the New England community engagement event will be made available on the PFAS Community Engagement website following the event.
Additional information can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-community-engagement