Sally Schlichting, a career scientist with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC), made a courageous statement in her publicly disclosed memorandum of April 28 denouncing the administration’s decision to “put regulations on hold, to roll back protective levels for six per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in drinking water, and to limit future testing of these compounds in soil, drinking water, surface water, fish tissue, and other media.” She also stated that the agency must “do all we can to protect Alaskans and the environment from additional exposure to PFAS. That’s our job. To do otherwise is negligence.”
In a May 8 statement, ADEC Commissioner Jason Brune responded that the agency would defer to the EPA’s Lifetime Healthy Advisory (LHA) level for drinking water. EPA LHA is an unenforceable guideline level that is an order of magnitude higher than the health protective level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Negating Ms. Schlichting’s serious public health concern is unfitting for the commissioner of the agency with a mission to “enhance the health, safety, economic, and social well-being of Alaskans.”
Brune’s decision to roll back regulation of these dangerous chemicals is a derogation of his responsibility. As Ms. Schlichting notes, multiple other states are setting levels that are “significantly more stringent that the EPA LHA.” The EPA PFAS action plan referred to by Brune makes no definite commitment toward establishing an enforceable, health protective drinking water standard. It is indeed ironic that the Dunleavy administration would defer to the EPA. PFAS contamination of drinking water is currently a hazard to the health of thousands of Alaskans in communities including Fairbanks, Gustavus, Dillingham, Utqiagvik and others. The state has both the authority and the duty to protect the drinking water and health of its citizens. “To do otherwise is negligence.”
— Pamela K. Miller
Executive Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.