Illinois EPA Proposes Groundwater Standards For 5 PFAS Compounds

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) released new proposed groundwater quality standards for five  per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).  If formally adopted, the proposed regulations would establish the state's first enforceable standards for PFAS. The proposed standards were included in a discussion draft of proposed amendments to Illinois' Part 620 groundwater quality regulations, 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 620, which provides a broader range of updates and modifications to the groundwater standards.¹

The proposed amendments would establish standards for the following PFAS compounds: 1) Perfluorobutane Sulfonic Acid (PFBS); 2) Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid (PFHxS); 3) Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA); 4) Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA); and 5) Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS). In addition, the proposal would classify PFOA as a carcinogen, based on its 2B classification by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on