The U.S. EPA has announced on Tuesday a proposal to set a national standard for "forever chemicals" found in drinking water.

NBC News reports that this plan would would limit per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by establishing legally enforceable levels for six manufactured chemicals known to contaminate drinking water posing significant risks including cancer even at low levels.

According to NBC News, the proposal would set maximum contaminant levels permitted in drinking water for several synthetic chemicals that are slow to break down. 

If implemented, the regulation would require public water systems to monitor the chemicals and alert the public if they rise above the established thresholds, NBC reports.

According to NBC, under this proposal, certain PFAS chemicals will be limited to four parts per trillion. EPA Administrator, Michael Regan says these proposed limits could prevent thousands of illnesses.

NBC Reports that PFAS has been detected in over 2,400 drinking water systems and hundreds of military installations, citing an analysis from the Environmental Working Groups. 

This would be the first regulation at a federal level aimed at limiting PFAS, NBC News reports.

21 News spoke with Mahoning Valley Sanitary District (MVSD) Chief Engineer, Michael McNinch, who tells us the MVSD has been preparing for these regulations for 13 months and that they've already done a preliminary study about the most effective way to remove PFAS.

McNinch tells 21 News the estimated cost of adding necessary equipment for the project is $39 million with initial funding coming from Ohio. 

Environmental Protection Network volunteer, and former Director of Science and Technology for the U.S. EPA's Office of Water, Dr. Elizabeth Southerland released a statement describing this proposal as a "historic milestone" under the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act.

"When finalized, these will be the first new standards since EPA updated the arsenic standard in 2001. Second, EPA is proposing to regulate four PFAS chemicals that co-occur in drinking water as a mixture, avoiding the need for individual drinking water standards for each chemical," Dr. Southerland said.

Southerland went on to say this is a "critically needed" approach for PFAS chemicals that include over 12,000 individual compounds. 

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