In a notice to Public Water Suppliers on April 17, 2019, MassDEP proposed draft amendments to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan to include a new Class 1 groundwater standard for 6 Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). MassDEP proposes a combined limit for Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), Perfluoroocatanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) and Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) of 20 parts per trillion (ppt). The State’s Office of Research and Standard current drinking water guideline for the first 5 of these compounds is a combined maximum of 70 parts per trillion. MassDEP intends to align the drinking water standard with the groundwater standard. The lower threshold, if promulgated as a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water, could have significant impacts on operating costs and plans for new water system infrastructure, for a unknown number of water systems in MA. Potential human health effects are still being studied, and are being reviewed by the USEPA to set national MCLs for some of these compounds. MassDEP is accepting comment on the draft MCP regulations until July 19, 2019, including the proposed PFAS cleanup standards. Any comments received on the proposed MCP GW-1 standard will also be considered by the Department in the revision of the ORSG and the forthcoming MCL. So it is important that public water suppliers participate in both the MCP GW-1 Standard and the drinking water MCL development process. The proposed amendment to the MCP regulations can be found here. Information on the MassDEP Drinking Water MCL process can be found here. Comments on the PFAS MCL should be sent the following MassDEP contacts:
By Region:
Western
Catherine Wanat
413-755-2216
Catherine.wanat@mass.gov
Central
Robert Bostwick
508-849-4036
Robert.Bostwick@mass.gov
Northeast
Amy LaPusata
978-694-3291
Amy.lapusata@mass.gov
Southeast
William Schwartz
508-946-2818
William.schwartz@mass.gov
Boston: Program.director-dwp@mass.gov or Margaret Finn 617-292-5746
