Environmentalists Concerned About Everlasting Chemical Regulation After US Supreme Court Ruling

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – A U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning a 40-year-old precedent raises concerns about the future of environmental regulations like the first-ever national alcohol laws.

The rule would protect hundreds of millions of people from harmful chemicals called PFAs, otherwise known as “forever chemicals.”

“We know they cause cancer. We know they cause birth defects. They can cause complications in pregnancy, kidney disease, and they’re really toxic at low levels,” said Autumn Crowe, interim executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. “There are a ton of really useful products that they’re used in, but the problem is they’re so resistant to environmental degradation that they’re called forever chemicals.”

PFAs have been found in 130 raw water systems across West Virginia, Crowe said. The worst areas of contamination: the Eastern Panhandle and along the Ohio River Valley.

Last year, the state passed the PFA Protection Act, which requires the state to conduct more testing and develop a plan to reduce levels in our water. As part of that effort, treated water was tested in 37 water systems across the state, and Crowe said 19 of them exceeded the new EPA standards.

In April, the federal government passed its own rules that apply to all states. Under the federal plan, water systems will have until 2029 to comply with the more stringent regulations.

Months later, federal regulations could be in jeopardy because of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling limiting the power of federal agencies like the EPA.

“It’s like the science has to catch up, and I just think it’s happening in the agencies,” said Honey May, a representative for the Sierra Club WV Chapter. “I have real concerns about what this means for West Virginia, in terms of clean air, clean water, our electric bills. Huge questions.”

Crowe admits that efforts to reduce PFA will be costly.

“I would encourage people who are concerned about this issue to get involved locally,” she said. “There’s a lot that people can do to just advocate for stronger regulations, more steps to address PFAS contamination.”

Crowe said the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and DEP have received a $1 million grant from the EPA to develop action plans. Areas with the heaviest contamination, such as the Eastern Panhandle and the Ohio River Valley, will be targeted first. As for additional funding, she said those responsible for PFA contamination should help pay to get water systems back up and running.