West Virginia lawmakers are expected to introduce legislation in 2023 aimed at regulating PFAS chemicals in the state's drinking-water systems.

Commonly found in Teflon cookware, water-resistant clothing, fast-food packaging and other consumer goods, PFAS have been linked to cancer, immune suppression, neurodevelopmental disorders, thyroid disease, decreased fertility and other conditions.

Luanne McGovern, a member of the board of directors of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, explained that The Clean Drinking Water Act of 2023 - modeled after last year's House Bill 4055 - would outline a strong set of actions to curb residents' exposure to the chemicals.

"The legislature, first off, wants to set state-specific maximum contaminant levels for certain PFAS chemicals," said McGovern. "They also want to establish a PFAS action-response team to go after some of the really high areas. They also want to require facilities that are using PFAS to report their use."

Last summer the Environmental Protection Agency released drinking-water health advisories for some PFAS compounds, listing the threshold of contamination least likely to cause harm to human health. The advisories are only recommendations and are not enforceable.

Last week the agency released its new PFAS database, which it says will help public-health experts and scientists better understand potential PFAS sources in their communities.

A federal study released in 2022 found PFAS in 67 West Virginia public water systems, out of more than two hundred tested.

McGovern pointed out that the bulk were concentrated along the Ohio River, in the Parkersburg area, and in the eastern panhandle - all highly populated regions.

"I think," said McGovern, "having this study has really empowered people to go to their local water treatment, their local town or city, and say, 'Hey, what are you doing with this? What are we doing to put in the right equipment to be taking PFAS out of our drinking water?'"

Meanwhile, some manufacturers are moving away from using the chemicals. The company 3M announced last month a plan to phase out PFAS by the end of 2025.

National Poison Prevention Week is coming up, and the staff at the Illinois Poison Center is getting the word out to be aware of toxic substances around the house.

The nonprofit organization provides both assistance and education on what to do if you suspect poisoning, and courses on identifying poisonous substances.

Last year, the center handled nearly 70,000 involving potentially harmful substances, ranging from minor to severe.

Dr. Michael Wahl, medical director for the center, said almost 40% of those cases involved children age five or younger.

"This is kind of the hallmark week for us to get the word out of the importance of poison prevention planning in the house, in the home, to prevent those unintentional ingestions or exposures to potentially harmful products," Wahl explained.

Wahl pointed out the Illinois center was one of the first of its kind in the nation and has been a resource for almost 70 years. It is staffed 24 hours, seven days a week, every day of the year, and can be reached at 800-222-1222.

Wahl noted the center deals with many substances, including drug overdoses, medication errors or reactions, plants, household chemicals, automotive products, insect stings and bites, lead, carbon monoxide and more.

He added the most dangerous time for children can be a visit from a grandparent.

"We recommend keeping the medications in their original containers and childproof caps," Wahl emphasized. "But grandparents will often keep their medications in pill minders. Those are not in child-resistant caps, and it is not uncommon that kids will get into them."

The center provides helpful information and guides, including stickers and refrigerator magnets with its toll-free number, at no charge. But Wahl stressed for those who need immediate help, there are experts standing by.

"Our line is staffed by nurses and pharmacists, so it is medical professionals -- they're not volunteers -- and they are specially trained in medical toxicology, to really answer and help with recommendations on a wide variety of potentially harmful exposures," Wahl emphasized.


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Most Texans take breathing for granted - unless the air is polluted. It's a health issue the Biden administration hopes to mitigate through new restrictions on one of the deadliest air pollutants - soot.

The Environmental Protection Agency wants to tighten national air-quality standards for soot - also known as fine particulate pollution - which haven't been updated since 2012.

Texas is among the top five states for soot pollution, but Elena Craft, senior director, Climate and Health at the Environmental Defense Fund, said a national solution is needed.

"It really impacts every community across the country," she said. "It is harmful because of its contribution to heart ailments, lung disease, asthma attacks - even cancer."

The EPA's rule would reduce the limit on industrial fine soot particles from an annual average of 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air to between nine and 10 micrograms. Public feedback on the proposed new rules is being accepted through March 28.

Soot pollution comes from power plants, vehicles and refineries, and Craft said it's more concentrated in certain parts of Texas than others.

"Houston, Dallas, El Paso - you do see higher ambient concentrations of particulate matter in some of the larger metropolitan areas, for sure," she said, "and also in some of the industrial areas - so, along the ship channel and the Gulf Coast."

Craft said there are also disparities as to who is most affected by soot pollution - with communities of color more likely to live near industrial facilities, railyards and other polluting facilities. She said it's also an issue for children.

"They breathe more air per pound of body weight than an adult," she said, "and so they are at higher risk, as well as the elderly."

According to Craft, the new standards proposed by the EPA are a welcome improvement, but the Environmental Defense Fund would like to see even stricter rules. The standards are expected to be finalized this summer.

Lawmakers in Maine are considering a bill to compensate farmers for the widespread use of state-sanctioned PFAS, or "forever chemicals" on their land. The chemicals are a byproduct of sewage processing once used as fertilizer and have caused irreversible damage to soil and water resources on at least 50 farms in the state.

Heather Spalding, deputy director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, said while struggling farmers deserve help, the bill may be getting ahead of a special state fund already set up to identify the extent of the problem.

"We just really want to support this PFAS Fund Advisory Committee and let them do their work," she said. "They're working incredibly hard to figure out where the funds need to go."

While the majority of farmland is not contaminated, hundreds of farms still require further testing, Spalding said.

Maine became the first state in the nation last year to ban the land application of PFAS sludge. Governor Janet Mills set aside $60-million to help farmers recoup lost income, pay for any needed health monitoring and set up a buyout program.

The current legislation would put a specific dollar amount on Maine farmland into a statute that she's reluctant to support, Spalding added.

"The goal is not just to buy up all the land and put farmers out of business. The goal is to work with farmers and make sure they can keep producing," she said.

Spalding added a lack of federal standards related to PFAS limits in food and water does not help. The governor's PFAS committee is expected to release its report in March and Spalding said funds could start to reach farmers this summer.