Read the full article by Lori Valigra (Bangor Daily News)
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released its much-anticipated steps to fight contamination by forever chemicals, but the scant information it provided raised more questions than answers among scientists and environment experts.
The 21-bullet-point steps to combat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, include creating guidelines to limit liquid waste discharge that could enter drinking water systems, advancing research and testing, and improving cleanup of PFAS near drinking water supplies. The agency also suggested that Congress and industry establish a clear way to ensure that polluters pay. PFAS are man-made chemicals that are water and grease resistant, but they are difficult to break down and have been linked to some cancers and other health problems.
The federal government did not provide timeframes or budgets for its proposals, which it announced April 28. They probably will not make an immediate difference in dealing with PFAS in Maine, which already has taken steps to curtail PFAS products in the state and to supply filtration systems for polluted private wells, scientists said.” …