Read the full article by Alex Kuffner (The Providence Journal)
“PROVIDENCE — The McKee administration is deliberating how to move ahead with a drinking water standard for so-called ‘forever chemicals’ found in cookware, food packaging and firefighting foam, but the governor’s hand could be forced by legislation moving through the General Assembly.
This is the third year that a bill has been proposed restricting levels of compounds in the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, or PFAS, family that can contaminate drinking water supplies, and for the first time in either chamber it is set to get a floor vote.
After getting through the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture on Wednesday, the full Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday on legislation that would set a maximum contaminant level of 20 parts per trillion for six PFAS chemicals. That is similar to the standards in Massachusetts and Vermont and stricter than rules in New Hampshire.
‘The state’s behind, and it’s time to set up the regulations at this point,’ said James Crowley, staff attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation. ‘We’re really hopeful that we’re almost there…’”