华盛顿(2024年4月10日)——今天，美国国防部宣布.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued 新规则 to protect people from drinking water contaminated by a group of chemicals known as PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances). 今天关键的新规则将会, 第一次, set enforceable federal limits on a number of PFAS chemicals, requiring water utilities to test for and treat certain PFAS in tap water. 除了这个规则, EPA announced $1 billion in new funding for testing and treatment of drinking water. PFAS chemicals are known to increase the risk of cancer, weaken immune systems and disrupt children’s cognitive development. The rule is a positive step toward tackling a major public health risk, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
下面是博士的声明. Jennifer Jones, director of the Center for 617888九五至尊娱乐与517888九五至尊娱乐 at UCS.
“After years of pressure from community advocates and public health experts, EPA has acted to reduce the risks from PFAS in drinking water. These 新规则 are based on the overwhelming scientific evidence that PFAS contamination is widespread and poses real risks to people exposed to it, 尤其是婴儿和儿童. Millions of people across the country—particularly those living in and around current and former 军事设施暴露在这些有毒化学物质中. This is an overdue but vital effort to help keep the water we drink safe.
“还有更多的517888九五至尊娱乐要做. While this rule targets some of the most common contaminants, EPA should adopt a broader definition that 涵盖PFAS化学品作为一个类, rather than taking a piecemeal approach. And EPA should be taking the lead from the communities who are exposed to PFAS contamination in their water, not the chemical industry trade groups that have pushed 虚假信息 为了防止强有力的规则. The success of this rule and future PFAS protections depends on community participation, 一致的监控, and serious enforcement in the years to come.”
In 2018, UCS obtained documents from EPA under a Freedom of Information Act request 揭示 that political appointees intended to suppress the release of a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry on the health effects of PFAS chemicals, a violation of the principles of scientific integrity. UCS是一个 成功的诉讼 last year that helped ensure better monitoring and reporting on PFAS releases.