Denver Post Article on Colorado Response to High Levels of PFAS
On September 10, the Denver Post published an article entitled, “Colorado ramps up response to toxic “forever chemicals” after discovery of hot spots across metro Denver: State plan to deal with PFAS groundwater contaminated at levels thousands of times higher than recommended max.” The article provides information about the detection of high levels of PFAS throughout the state and the development of Colorado’s PFAS action plan. While the state has not yet conducted comprehensive statewide sampling, tests at individual groundwater sites have found PFAS levels at up to 2,928 times higher than EPA’s health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) and it is estimated that more than 100,000 residents have been served drinking water from water systems with elevated levels of PFAS. Tests to date have been limited to military and industrial sites that used Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) that contained PFAS.
According to the article, Colorado’s emerging PFAS action plan will include efforts to:
- Increase state lab capacity to test for PFAS.
- Develop a state groundwater cleanup standard.
- Begin to develop a state drinking water standard and support testing for and remove PFAS from small water systems.
- Require reporting on chemicals used in firefighting; ban the use of PFAS during fire training; and control the use of AFFF at airports.
For more information, read the article and visit the Colorado website with information about the development of the state’s PFAS Narrative Policy.
