Read the full article by Gregory B. Hladky (Hartford Courant)

“Attorney General William Tong joined a growing chorus of public officials and environmentalists Thursday warning against the dangers of PFAS, a class of potentially toxic chemicals that experts say are a threat to human health.

Tong met with state environmental and health experts, local officials and environmental activists on the banks of the Farmington River downstream from where a major spill of PFAS firefighting foam occurred on June 8…

The chemicals that spilled into the Farmington River from a hangar at Bradley International Airport. The malfunction of a fire suppression system at the hangar released an estimated 20,000 gallons of foam into sewers that eventually emptied into the river.

State officials are now testing both the Farmington’s surface waters and fish from the river to determine how much of these ‘forever chemicals’ remain in the watershed. Experts said they now expect the latest test results to be back from the lab in a week or two.

Tong said he’s been in conversations with attorneys general from various states that have already launched lawsuits against producers of PFAS for products that include firefighting foam, Teflon cookware, rain gear, microwave popcorn bags and stain-resistant carpeting.

But Connecticut’s attorney general said it’s too soon to say if the state will join in any similar legal actions over PFAS pollution. A state task force is now studying the issue and is due to report on an action plan for Connecticut regulation and controls over PFAS, and Tong said the prudent course is to await that report.

Unlike states that have experienced major PFAS contamination of drinking water supplies, Tong said Connecticut is only now conducting statewide tests to determine the extent of the problem. ‘We’re still trying to understand it,’ he said…

Related: Chemical industry lobby opposing strong Connecticut action on PFAS

Rep. Jane Garibay, D-Windsor, said she was pleased by Tong’s Windsor event because it will help ‘keep the pressure on’ to make sure the river is free of PFAS pollution and to come up with statewide action on these chemicals…

Windsor Mayor Don Trinks said he had ‘mixed emotions’ about hosting Thursday’s PFAS-related event in his town. He said the chemical spill has resulted in ‘unprecedented cooperation among state agencies’ but has also damaged his community’s reputation as a prime fishing and boating spot in the summer…

Environmental groups are urging Connecticut officials to ‘really take comprehensive action’ on PFAS pollution, said Ann Hulick, head of the state chapter of Clean Water Action…

Hulick said she has asked the PFAS task force created by Gov. Ned Lamont last month to enact ‘very strict drinking water standards’ similar to what has recently been done in states like New Hampshire and Vermont.

She also called for state legislation and regulation to ban PFAS compounds from consumer goods…”