Illinois EPA Files Administrative Rules to Create First Illinois
Groundwater Quality Standards for PFAS Chemicals
The Proposed Rulemaking Incorporates
Comments Submitted through Public Outreach
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[December 19, 2021]
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Director John J. Kim announced the Agency has submitted
amendments to 35 Illinois Administrative Code (Ill. Admin. Code)
Part 620 to the Illinois Pollution Control Board (Board). The
proposed amendments update toxicity data for various chemicals,
update exposure factors, and introduce groundwater quality standards
for five Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) chemicals.
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The proposed rule includes new groundwater quality standards for
five PFAS chemicals:
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS),
perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS),
and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
In addition, the proposal includes groundwater quality standards
for nine new chemicals, three new atrazine metabolites, and
procedures for selecting toxicity values consistent with current
federal guidance among other updates.
PFAS are a group of approximately 5,000 human-made chemicals
that are manufactured for their oil and water-resistant
properties. Since the 1940s, PFAS have been used in a wide range
of consumer products, industrial processes, and in some
fire-fighting foams (called aqueous film-forming foam or AFFF).
This has resulted in PFAS being released into the air, water and
soil.
“This regulatory submittal is the culmination of work by
Illinois EPA staff over the past two years in an effort to
establish Illinois’ first groundwater standards for PFAS
chemicals,” said Director Kim. “These regulations are a
significant step to regulating these forever chemicals that will
allow Illinois to develop standards to more effectively protect
the public and environment against adverse impacts associated
with PFAS contamination.”
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Groundwater in Illinois is important as drinking
water for people and livestock, irrigation, industrial inputs, to
sustain wetlands and other habitats, and to maintain flow and water
quality in lakes, rivers and streams. Groundwater quality standards
help the Illinois EPA to protect current and future uses of
groundwater by providing a measure of groundwater’s suitability for
use and to set limits when remediation is necessary. Monitoring
groundwater quality to detect changes in composition can provide an
early warning when contaminants threaten water supplies and provide
a measure for cleanup effectiveness when required.
Individuals and stakeholders can receive updates on the proposed
rulemaking by signing-up for electronic notifications by the Board
at
https://pcb.illinois.gov/Cases/
GetCaseDetailsById?caseId=17099.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information]
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