Drinking Water

 

Senate Passes Relief Package. According to Politico, “Drinking water and wastewater utilities did not make the cut in the final deal, though, despite arguing that they’re going to face a major crunch as revenues decline by an estimated 20 percent even as they are reconnecting delinquent accounts as a matter of public safety. ‘At a time when proper sanitation and the flow of clean water to every home, hospital, and essential industry is more critical than ever before, the decision to not include meaningful support for this sector is shameful,’ Adam Krantz, CEO of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, said in a statement.” [Politico, 3/26/20 (=)]

 

EPA Provides $10M To Test Lead Levels At Schools. According to E&E News, “EPA has doled out more than $10 million to states so far this year to test for lead in school drinking water. ‘Reducing childhood lead exposures has been an EPA priority for the Trump administration. As we pursue our mission to protect human health and the environment, we work closely with schools, state and local government, and federal partners on this issue,’ said an EPA spokesperson. Award recipients for March include New York with $1,960,000, Illinois with $1.5 million, and Iowa with $460,000. The recent awards are part of EPA’s allotment of $43.7 million for the Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water grants for states and U.S. territories. The agency has awarded grants to all 50 states and the District of Columbia since the beginning of 2019. The funding comes from one of three drinking water grants the agency offers under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act) to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. The other two grant programs are Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities and Reduction in Lead Exposure via Drinking Water. The grants are available through September. On Thursday, Michigan received $1.19 million. The state, which has a history of contaminated drinking water in the city of Flint, has adopted stringent rules to protect residents from lead poisoning. ‘During this current coronavirus pandemic, it is now as important as ever to protect the public health of our children by ensuring they are not being exposed to toxins in water. I am glad that Michigan will receive critical funding from the EPA to continue this important work,’ Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) said in a statement.” [E&E News, 3/25/20 (=)]

 

PFAS

 

PFAS Found In Landfills; No Clear Path On What To Do About It. According to Bloomberg Environment, “When Joe Fusco looks at a landfill, he sees the result of decades of consumer demand for waterproof, nonstick, and stain-resistant products, a soup of ‘forever chemicals’ that could make their way into the water supply. ‘The chemicals are so prevalent in society,’ said Fusco, who is vice president at Vermont-based Casella Waste Systems Inc. ‘You’re going to find it in every landfill. You’re going to find it in every wastewater treatment plant.’ The chemicals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are also popping up in drinking water supplies across the country. But finding the chemicals is just the first step. Determining their source, and what steps to take next, is less clear. Vermont, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, California, and Connecticut are among the states testing and investigating PFAS that end up in landfills. ‘With the testing, we are able to get a sense of what’s out there,’ said Chuck Schwer, director of Vermont’s Waste Management and Prevention Division. ‘We don’t have all the solutions.’ PFAS chemicals may cause adverse health effects, including immune system or thyroid effects, and changes in cholesterol, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. There are thousands of chemicals in the PFAS family. For years, companies like 3M Co. and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. used the chemicals to make Teflon pans and Scotchgard. Those household items ultimately get discarded in municipal landfills, like the ones Fusco’s company operates.” [Bloomberg Environment, 3/25/20 (=)]

 

PFAS Testing Delayed Due To Coronavirus Concerns. According to E&E News, “Collection and sampling of a class of highly toxic chemicals are on hold in certain areas because of the coronavirus pandemic. As state governors enact strict lockdowns and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stresses social distancing, some testing of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, is delayed until the spread of the virus is contained and it’s safe to travel. PFAS are a class of about 7,000 chemicals that were once used for Teflon cookware and firefighting foam. Studies now link the chemicals to multiple health problems, including thyroid issues and some cancers. Ohio EPA suspended testing on March 16 because of COVID-19 but was able to collect 229 out of 245 samples from schools and day cares, said the agency’s Deputy Director of Communication Heidi Griesmer. ‘This measure is being taken due to the closure of many businesses and buildings where getting access to samples will not be possible,’ Griesmer said. She said the samples were prioritized ‘because they serve sensitive populations of children.’ Griesmer said that Ohio EPA will review the results from samples taken before March 16.” [E&E News, 3/25/20 (=)]

 

Plastic Pollution

 

Pandemic Delays Plastic Bag Bans. According to E&E News, “Scrutiny of plastic pollution in the oceans was growing in Congress. Plastic shopping bag bans were going into effect in states across the country. The plastics industry was playing defense against environmental groups that were highlighting the use of fossil fuels in plastic production. That was in the time before the novel coronavirus. As people across the globe fight to slow the spread of germs, the anti-plastic movement has been paused and the plastics industry has positioned itself as the sanitary savior in hospitals and grocery stores alike. Plastic bags, which have been outlawed in states from Maine to Hawaii, have found new life due to their perceived cleanliness. Maine’s plastic bag ban was set to take effect on April 22. But Democratic Gov. Janet Mills announced enforcement of the law would be delayed until Jan. 15, 2021, to limit the spread of COVID-19. New York’s plastic bag ban has also been postponed, but as a result of a lawsuit filed by a plastic bag maker. While New Hampshire doesn’t have a ban, the state’s governor encouraged shoppers not to use reusable bags. ‘With identified community transmission, it is important that shoppers keep their reusable bags at home given the potential risk to baggers, grocers and customers,’ Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire tweeted.” [E&E News, 3/25/20 (=)]

 

Water Infrastructure

 

Chicago Warns Of Sewage Overflows And Coronavirus. According to E&E News, “Chicago residents are being advised to avoid swimming, fishing or recreating in the city’s waterways until after the COVID-19 pandemic, in part to avoid contact with pathogen-carrying back flows. Officials said residents should also take measures to avoid clogging toilets to reduce the risk of sewage backups into basements, although there is no proof coronavirus transmission can occur through sewage. City agencies issued a similar warning about direct contact with waterways like the Chicago and Calumet rivers and their tributaries, saying ‘it is well established that other pathogens that cause illness can be present in rivers, lakes and streams,’ although COVID-19 is not known to be among them. The World Health Organization has also indicated ‘there is no evidence to date that COVID-19 virus has been transmitted via sewerage systems, with or without wastewater treatment,’ EPA said in its own fact sheet. Chronic sewage backups and stormwater overflows have become a major concern in Chicago as aging stormwater sewers are routinely overwhelmed by large volumes of water. Experts say climate change has made the problem worse because the region has experienced a marked uptick in the frequency and intensity of 2-inch rain events. That’s enough to flood streets and overwhelm stormwater infrastructure. A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago said the agencies were acting out of an abundance of caution and that testing of the city’s water and stormwater occurs daily.” [E&E News, 3/26/20 (=)]

 

 

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