CHAPTER 611
An Act to require the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group to study the occurrence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorobutyrate (PFBA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and other perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Commonwealth's public drinking water; report.
[H 586]
Approved April 2, 2020
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. That the Commissioner of Health shall convene a work group to study the occurrence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorobutyrate (PFBA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and other perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as deemed necessary, in the Commonwealth's public drinking water and may develop recommendations for specific maximum contaminant levels for PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFNA, and other PFAS, as deemed necessary, for inclusion in regulations of the Board of Health applicable to waterworks. Such work group shall include representatives of waterworks owners and operators, including owners and operators of community waterworks, private companies that operate waterworks, advocacy groups representing owners and operators of waterworks, consumers of public drinking water, a manufacturer with chemistry experience, and such other stakeholders as the Commissioner of Health shall deem appropriate. The Office of Drinking Water of the Department of Health shall provide administrative and technical support for the work group. In completing its work, the work group (i) shall (a) determine current levels of PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFNA, and other PFAS, as deemed necessary, contamination in the Commonwealth's public drinking water, provided that in making such determination of current levels, the Department of Health shall sample no more than 50 representative waterworks and major sources of water; (b) identify possible sources of such contamination, where identified; and (c) evaluate existing approaches to regulating PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFNA, and other PFAS, as deemed necessary, in drinking water, including regulatory approaches adopted by other states and the federal government, and (ii) may develop recommendations for specific maximum contaminant levels for PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFNA, and other PFAS, as deemed necessary, to be included in regulations of the Board of Health applicable to waterworks. The work group shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Education and Health by December 1, 2021.