The Washington Department of Ecology last week updated its state water quality rules to protect aquatic life from the effects of toxic chemicals. The changes to Ecology’s aquatic life toxics criteria, which include the addition of aquatic life toxics criteria for 14 new toxic substances such as PFOA, PFOS, and 6PPD-quinone, reflect updated science and research, new methods and modeling tools, and recommendations from U.S. EPA and tribal governments. Once approved by EPA, Ecology will use them to identify polluted waters and develop cleanup plans, as well as update water quality permits for facilities discharging those chemicals.
In its announcement, Ecology says the new PFOA and PFOS criteria are based on EPA’s current draft national aquatic life criteria for those chemicals. Learn more here.
