State sets new limits for toxic chemicals in water
PFAS, 6PPD-quinone among chemicals listed
OLYMPIA – Washington’s waters have new protections, thanks to a major update to state water quality rules. The updates protect aquatic life, such as fish and invertebrates, from the effects of toxic chemicals in the water.
The Washington Department of Ecology developed these changes to the state’s aquatic life toxics criteria based on updated science and new research, new methods and modeling tools, and recommendations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Tribal governments.
Once the new criteria are approved by EPA, Ecology will use them to identify polluted waters and develop clean up plans. Ecology will also use the approved criteria when updating water quality permits for facilities discharging those chemicals.
“By using innovative methods and new scientific studies we can better protect salmon, shellfish and all aquatic life from the toxic chemicals they face every day,” said Vince McGowan, Ecology’s Water Quality program manager. “The new limits are customized to Washington’s unique environment and the species we need to protect.”
With this rule, Washington has limits for 42 chemicals. This includes limits for both marine and fresh water, and limits to protect aquatic life from both immediate (acute) effects, such as death, and long-term (chronic) effects, such as changes in growth and reproduction.
Well-known toxics already in Washington’s standards such as arsenic, copper, nickel, silver, and zinc were updated to better protect aquatic life. New additions to Washington’s aquatic life criteria include PFOA and PFOS (part of the PFAS chemical group), aluminum, and 6PPD-quinone.
Washington is the first state in the nation to establish a numeric, freshwater limit for 6PPD-quinone, a chemical that comes from the breakdown of vehicle tires that has shown to be highly toxic to some salmon and trout, including coho salmon and steelhead. The new limit will allow the state to make progress in regulating the amount of 6PPD-quinone that reaches the water.
The new PFOA and PFOS criteria are based on EPA’s current draft national aquatic life criteria for those chemicals. Ecology determined, with public feedback, that setting these limits now will better protect Washington waters than waiting for national criteria to be finalized by EPA.
Ecology received extensive comments on the proposed changes. This feedback and the agency’s responses are summarized in the Concise Explanatory Statement.
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