The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced nearly $13.5 million in funding for Missouri communities to address PFAS contamination in drinking water systems.
The funding comes through the EPA's Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant program, part of a $1 billion nationwide initiative aimed at helping communities respond to PFAS and other contaminants linked to health concerns, including certain cancers.
Missouri communities, drinking water systems and private well owners can use the funding for water testing, planning and infrastructure upgrades. The grants also can support efforts to address other contaminants identified by the EPA, including manganese, perchlorate and 1,4-dioxane.
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals commonly used in products such as nonstick cookware, waterproof fabrics and firefighting foam. The chemicals are known as "forever chemicals" because they break down slowly and can accumulate in the environment and the human body over time.
EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy said in a statement last week that the funding is intended to help communities that may struggle to afford costly water infrastructure improvements.
"EPA is dedicated to helping all Americans access safe drinking water," Macy said. "Targeted funding for communities that need assistance the most accelerates practical solutions that protect public health."
But some environmental advocates say the funding falls short, particularly as the EPA scales back several federal PFAS regulations.
Missouri Confluence Waterkeeper board member Bob Menees said Missouri communities need significantly more resources to fully address PFAS contamination.
"I appreciate that EPA is on one hand, giving money, probably not nearly enough money as needed to adequately address the problem," Menees said. "But it's also very duplicitous to simultaneously, while giving small amounts of money to states to deal with the problem, to then pull back some actual gains in federal regulation about PFAS."
The funding announcement came the same week the EPA rolled back several major federal PFAS regulations. The agency eliminated enforceable drinking water standards for four PFAS compounds — PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and PFBS.
The EPA also gave water utilities an additional two years to comply with limits on PFOA and PFOS, two of the most widely studied PFAS chemicals.
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