Posts made in August 2020

SAB and LCRR, COVID-19

Science Advisory Board

In today’s Federal Register (march 16, 2020; LCRR_SAB Review) EPA announced that on March 30, 2020 (1:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET) the Science Advisory Board (SAB) will be briefed on two proposed regulations.  One of the proposed regulations is the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (the other proposed regulation is under the Clean Air Act) .  The briefing will be via teleconference.

If the SAB decides to form technical workgroups to provide “advice and comments” on either rule, a second teleconference will be held May 11, 2020 to “discuss the workgroup reports.”

EPA Q&A on COVID-19

EPA posted a question and answer web page on COVID-19 and drinking water and wastewater.

https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater

EPA Reg Det PFAS, WHO Coronavirus Tech Brief

Regulatory Determination for PFOA and PFOS

In today’s Federal Register (March 10, 2020; EPA_Fed Reg_CCL4_Reg Det), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published for a 60-day public comment period its regulatory determination for eight unregulated contaminants on the Candidate Contaminant List 4 (CCL4).  EPA is proposing the following regulatory decisions: Continue reading

DDW 2020 Regulatory Priorities

At today’s State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) meeting Division of Drinking Water (DDW) staff presented the enclosed Regulatory Priorities for 2020. (DDW Reg Priorities_2020)  The SWRCB adopted the Regulatory Priorities as presented.

Some highlights from the enclosed:

  1. Page 3, item 2b. Revised Lead DLR.   DDW anticipates proposing in 2020 a revised Detection Limit for Purposes of Reporting (DLR) for lead (“….and several other metals”).  The revised DLR for lead “may” be lowered from 5 parts per billion (ppb) to 1 ppb.
  2. Page 4, item 4.  Revised Total Coliform Rule.  DDW plans to publish the draft Revised Total Coliform Rule for public comment during “spring 2020.”
  3. Page 5, item 9.  Revised Perchlorate DLR.  DDW staff completed a survey of laboratory perchlorate capabilities.  The results “demonstrated an ability to lower the DLR without sacrificing capacity, but not to a level equal to or less than the PHG at this time….The proposed revision to the DLR is slated for Board consideration in June 2020.”  Background:  The MCL for perchlorate is 6 ppb, the PHG is 1 ppb, and the DLR is 4 ppb.

With regard to dates for the three public workshops on DDW’s White Paper on “Economic Feasibility Analysis in Consideration of a Hexavalent Chromium MCL,” ACWA staff indicate the following information was reported at the Board’s meeting:

  • April 15 – Diamond Bar
  • April 17 – Rancho Cordova (Central Valley Water Board’s headquarters)
  • April 20 – Fresno

The workshop dates and more detailed information on time and location have not yet been posted by DDW.

NRWA Files PFAS Class Action Lawsuit

Yesterday the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) and the City of Millington, Tennessee, filed a class action lawsuit against several companies that “designed, manufactured, marketed and sold” products containing PFAS.  The companies named in the lawsuit include 3M, Dupont, and Chemours.

NRWA and the City of Millington are seeking the following:

  1. That the defendants pay to “….fully investigate and provide information….about the extent of any existing PFAS contamination through a court-supervised drinking water well testing program….”
  2. And “….to recover damages already incurred and/or that will be incurred….in investigating, monitoring, remediating and otherwise responding to potential contamination of their water supplies…..”

A Press Release and a copy of the complaint are enclosed (NRWA-complaint) (Press-Release-NRWA-2.25.20)