Officials: Forever chemicals in Cloquet's water no need for panic

Jess Waldbillig, The Pine Journal, Cloquet, Minn.
·4 min read

Sep. 7—CLOQUET — Of the 12 cities the Minnesota Department of Health has identified as having levels of toxic, man-made chemicals containing compounds commonly known as PFAS that the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new limits on, Cloquet is one of them.

While this may sound concerning, Cloquet city engineer and director of public works Caleb Peterson said that information should be taken seriously, but is not a reason for panic.

To address concerns over and further explain PFAS, their presence in Cloquet's water and the EPA's proposed limits, Peterson gave a presentation at the Cloquet City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

According to the

Minnesota Department of Health,

PFAS are man-made chemicals that are commonly used in non-stick cookware, stain and water resistant fabrics, food packaging and fire extinguishing foam.

Because some PFAS do not break down in the environment and have been found in Minnesota's groundwater and surface water, MDH seeks to test all community water systems in the state for it.

Peterson noted in

his presentation

that PFAS can stay in the human body for years and can be found in air, fish and soil in addition to water.

"When they're talking about potential health based concerns, they're talking about an accumulation in our bodies over a lifetime of exposure," he said. "We're exposed to this whether we know it or not in many ways just within our daily lives; it is pervasive unfortunately in our environment."

Long term exposure to PFAS can be passed through generations and an accumulation in the body can lead to adverse health outcomes.

MDH developed a health risk index to evaluate some PFAS (mainly PFOS and PFOA, both of which are no longer in production) additive health risk to other chemicals that inflict similar health effects.

If PFAS levels of drinking water result in an HRI less than or equal to one, then the water is safe for consumption. If the HRI is above one, then there is a "potential health concern for the combined PFAS exposure," according to the MDH website.

The

EPA

is proposing the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation that would legally enforce Maximum Contaminant Levels for six PFAS in drinking water. The regulation is expected to be finalized by the end of 2023.

The proposed limit for PFOA and PFOS is 4.0 parts per trillion.

The EPA has also developed a

Hazard Index

to determine the risk PFAS poses in drinking water that Peterson noted is similar to MDH's Health Risk Index.

Peterson also pointed out that the proposed levels are the lowest at which modern technology can even detect and measure PFAS.

Peterson said only one of Cloquet's five wells (well number 8) contains PFAS and has an HRI of 0.0-0.5. It is below the PFOA level and meets the EPA's Hazard Index, but is just over the proposed four parts per trillion for PFOS.

"These levels are very low compared to what other communities have dealt with already ... is it an important discussion? Absolutely. Is it a reason to panic? No," Peterson said.

Peterson outlined potential next steps for Cloquet if or when the EPA's regulation proposal is finalized, such as implementing water treatment systems and looking for alternative water sources.

He said that when the time comes to implement a change in Cloquet's water system and take action on the present PFAS levels, outside funding sources will be looked at.

"That's usually the case when there's new contaminants that are identified. There is some funding to go along with that, but at the same time I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it's going to be 100% funded on the capital side, and it certainly won't be 100% funded on the long-term operations side, whatever we decide to do," Peterson said.

"We want to make sure we're giving this conversation its due diligence and we're making the right decisions for the future of our utility and the health of our residents," Peterson said "As of right now, our water meets all federal standards and all state-published guidance ... it might change as our science and understanding evolves ... but as of right now we are 100% compliant."