For nearly a decade, residents of Warrington, Warminster, and Horsham lacked the legal means to challenge polluters over water contamination from PFAS chemicals due to the absence of federal limits, writes Chris Ullery for Bucks County Courier Times. 

This changed when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced stringent Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for these harmful compounds, often called “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment and human body. 

Local environmental groups, particularly the Buxmont Coalition for Clean Water, celebrated this regulatory milestone.  

Founders Joanne Stanton and Hope Grosse, alongside state Senator Maria Collett, have been advocating for safer drinking water, influenced by their communities’ proximity to military bases where PFAS-laden firefighting foams were used extensively. 

The new EPA regulation sets MCLs at 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt for four other PFAS compounds. The agency’s action follows the revelation that drinking water sources for over 70 million Americans are contaminated with PFAS.

This regulation represents a critical advancement in public health protection, aiming to significantly reduce the incidence of PFAS-related diseases, including cancer. 

Read more about how residents fought back against PFAS contamination in the Bucks County Courier Times.

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