PFAS & Emerging Contaminants

Emerging Contaminants Update:  New Federal Report Highlights PFAS Risks as New York State Court Certifies Class Action for PFAS Groundwater Contamination

By Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz For decades, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) have been widely used in industrial processes and consumer products, including non-stick cookware, strain resistant fabrics, and firefighting foams.  PFAS have emerged as a focus of regulatory concern only in recent years, however, as new studies have detected PFAS in groundwater and drinking water supplies…

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New Jersey Establishes Stringent Drinking Water Standards for Emerging Contaminants

New Jersey recently announced the nation’s first binding limits for certain perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFASs”) in drinking water, establishing stringent standards for the treatment of those emerging contaminants. While seldom used today, PFASs were historically used in a diverse array of processes and products, including coatings for textiles, stain and grease repellants, electroplating and…

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New York Budget Legislation Establishes New Regulations for Solid Waste Sites

By: Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz The budget legislation signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last month contains several high profile environmental provisions, including more than $1.5 billion in grants for drinking water infrastructure improvements; the creation of a new Drinking Water Council to develop a plan for addressing “emerging” contaminants such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (“PFOS”) and…

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