About 2.7 million people in Virginia rely on the James for their drinking water, and one small community near Charlottesville could be putting them at risk. David Sligh with Wild Virginia says water from Scottsville’s sewage treatment plant contains 178 nanograms of PFAS per liter.
“A nanogram is probably about one drop in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, but EPA has put out what they call maximum contaminant level for drinking water, and it’s four,” he explains.
Forever chemicals may put people at increased risk for cancer, high cholesterol, poor immune function and other health problems. Sligh, who served for many years as a senior engineer at the Department of Environmental Quality says the public should demand that PFAS be removed before they’re dumped into the James.
“Unfortunately, in our modern world these PFAS are kind of everywhere. This is one way to start to stem the tide of having these pollutants in our lives and our environment,” Sligh says.
The DEQ is now accepting comments on a permit request for the Scottsville plant, and Wild Virginia has organized an online event tonight to help people share their views with the state. The Clean Water Act and state law require removal of pollutants, and if PFAS is added to the list, it could be an historic first step for Virginia. For more information go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comment-writing-party-insist-that-deq-take-action-tickets-847455571427