Lee Hoffman Discusses Potential Impact of New EPA Limits on PFAS

Environmental and Energy Attorney Lee D. Hoffman, who also serves as chair of Pullman & Comley, was quoted in an article in the Hartford Business Journal about how Connecticut businesses and utilities are preparing for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new limits on PFAS (short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals). PFAS are also known as “forever chemicals” that pose health and environmental risks.  They have been used for more than 50 years in the development of such consumer products as non-stick cookware.

Because the risk of contamination to drinking water is severe, the EPA is setting a new drinking water contaminant limit for the first time in 26 years.  The regulations are currently under interagency review. Connecticut water utilities in particular are gearing up for the EPA’s new PFAS limits; last year, the EPA released proposed maximum contaminant levels of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for two of the most common types of PFAS.

According to Lee, the 4 ppt level is too small for many laboratories to detect, creating a technological challenge.  “Because there isn’t a level (of PFAS) that has been deemed safe, that means that the regulations are going to be based on, in some instances, values that our laboratories can’t even detect yet,” Lee said. “… And so, it makes it a little bit difficult for the regulated community to prove compliance with them.”

To read the full article, visit the Hartford Business Journal website.