Ohio will measure forever chemicals in rivers, but DeWine says factories are up to the feds

Ohio will become the first state in the country to measure large rivers for forever chemical contamination, but Gov. Mike DeWine said regulating manufacturers and oil and gas companies should be left up to the federal government.

The state does not “have the ability to pass a law that will be upheld that stops manufacturing,” DeWine said at a news conference Monday. Instead, the state is tackling forever chemical contamination retroactively. “What we’re dealing with is legacy.”

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals or PFAS, are a group of compounds that make a product heat, water, or grease resistant. They are commonly found in consumer goods such as nonstick pans, yoga pants, and fast-food packaging.

Cincy v. Indian Hill: How forever chemicals show up in Ohio's drinking water

PFAS are toxic and semipermanent: Some experts estimate that PFAS water contamination lasts for hundreds of years. Even at low levels, they have been linked to a host of harmful health effects, including increased cancer risk and infant developmental delays.

As a part of H2Ohio Rivers, a statewide water quality initiative, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will collect samples from 29 of Ohio’s rivers to measure PFAS contamination, according to the governor’s office. The state will then use those samples to inform river cleanup efforts and fish consumption advisories.

No part of the H2Ohio Rivers program, however, addresses the ongoing manufacture of PFAS, which increases water and air contamination at every stage of the production process.

Water becomes contaminated by industrial dumping of PFAS waste into rivers or PFAS leaking into groundwater from oil wells used for fracking. People become exposed to PFAS by drinking this contaminated water, breathing PFAS-polluted air, or using products that contain PFAS.

In November, Ohio’s Attorney General settled with chemicals company DuPont for $110 million, alleging that DuPont dumped PFAS into the Ohio River despite knowing about their negative impact on human health. Six years prior, DuPont and Chemours agreed to shell out $670 million to settle thousands of personal injury lawsuits where plaintiffs cited PFAS as the reason behind their cancer and heart problems.

As of 2023, at least 15 states – including other midwestern states such as Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota – have passed laws restricting the manufacturing of PFAS. Additionally, states such as Illinois require companies to report PFAS in their products to the public.

Ohio lags by comparison. Last year, a report from Physicians for Social Responsibility found that companies used PFAS in 101 Ohio oil and gas wells since 2013, but also that the state’s disclosure laws make it difficult for Ohioans to know the true extent of PFAS presence.

Despite these issues, DeWine reaffirmed his commitment to improving water quality at the conference.

“Water is one of Ohio’s greatest assets,” he said. “We have a moral obligation to pass water down to the next generation in a better state than we found it.”

From the archives: Forever chemicals found in Cincinnati drinking water

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio will measure PFAS in rivers but punts on factories, oil and gas