GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WBTW) — The city of Georgetown has hired a law firm to represent it in the investigation of “forever chemicals” in drinking water.
Friedmand Dazzio and Zulanas, P.C. will evaluate the impact on the city and provide guidance on appropriate action, the city said Monday in a news release.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established new maximum contaminant levels on substances such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS or “forever chemicals.”
The chemicals are found in many products including items such as nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and firefighting foam.
“The new MCLs could potentially require water systems to invest in large capital projects to be able to filter these contaminates out of drinking water,” the city said in the release.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, human health effects from exposure to low environmental levels of PFAS are uncertain. Studies of laboratory animals given large amounts of PFAS have found that some PFAS may affect growth and development, reproduction, thyroid function, the immune system, and the liver.
PFAS have been found increasingly in ground and surface waters. They have also been found in a variety of wildlife species, including fish, bald eagles and mink.
Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
