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Home My WebLink About05.d. Receive update on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances Page 1 of 11 Item 5.d. CENTRAL SAN March 8, 2021 TO: REAL ESTATE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING COMMITTEE FROM: MELODY LABELLA, RESOURCE RECOVERY PROGRAM MANAGER REVIEWED BY: JEAN-MARC PETIT, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER SUBJECT: RECEIVE UPDATE ON PER-AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS) PFAS are a class of highly-stable, man-made chemicals that have been in use since the 1940s. PFAS are so widely used in consumer products, they are considered ubiquitous. Many PFAS persist in the environment and the human body and there is evidence that PFAS exposure can lead to adverse human health impacts. In 2019, due to a high level of interest in PFAS in the media and, subsequently, the Federal legislative session, which resulted in the introduction of dozens of PFAS-related bills, Central San's staff started to closely monitor PFAS developments, formed an internal PFAS Task Force, and began providing regular PFAS updates to the Real Estate, Environmental & Planning (REEP) Committee. Staff has prepared the attached presentation to provide background and a periodic update on PFAS and looks forward to reviewing it at the March 8, 2021, REEP Committee meeting. Strategic Plan re-In GOAL TWO: Environmental Stewardship Strategy 2—Anticipate and prepare for potential regulatory changes, Strategy 3— Support regional development of local water supply ATTACHMENTS: 1. Presentation March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 25 of 37 Page 2 of 11 UPDATE ON PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL - SUBSTANCES (PFAS) i Melody LaBella, P.E. Resource Recovery Program Manager '- Blake Brown Senior Chemist Real Estate, Environmental & Planning Committee Meeting March 8, 2021 I WHAT ARE PFAS? PFAS are a broad class of fluorine-rich, specialty chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in th%e4i� United States, since the 1940s. Some possess thermal stability, non-reactivity, and surfactant properties. The carbon-fluorine bonds are some of the strongest known to science, which means PFAS show extremely high persistence ("forever chemicals"). IZ March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 26 of 37 1 Page 3 of 11 WHY THE CONCERN? Well-studied perfluorooctanesulfononic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) have been shown to be highly toxic. 1 Other PFAS have received little to no testing, but their structural similarities suggest they are likely to trigger similar concerns for human and ecological health. ' PFAS have been linked to increased cancer risk, elevated cholesterol levels, and decreased fertility. 2 PFAS are being found in drinking water supplies. i Sedlak,M.,Sutton R.,Wong A.,Lin,Diana.2018. Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances(PFASs)in San Francisco Bay:Synthesis and Strategy. RMP Contribution No.867.San Francisco Estuary Institute,Richmond CA. z US Department of Health and Human Services,Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.2018."Draft Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls" ' 3 WHY THE CONCERN? Nearly 5,000 PFAS are used in consumer, commercial, and industrial applications Including personal care products and food packaging Increasing media attention Legislative attention In the 2019 federal legislative session, dozens of bills containing PFAS provisions were introduced 14 CFNTPAI SAN March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 27 of 37 2 Page 4 of 11 SOURCES OF PFAS TO THE WATER ENVIRONMENT - Military bases and airports Due to aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) used for fire fighting PFAS production facilities - Air deposition - A Landfills - Treated wastewater effluent . IS COMMON USES W • - 16 CFNTPAISAN March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 28 of 37 3 Page 5 of 11 2016 REGIONAL MONITORING PROGRAM STUDY BY SAN FRANCISCO ESTUARY INSTITUTE 50 40 c 30 0 M L Y y 20 u C O V 10 0 ekOyPP QQp Q�OQQ Q��P Q�QeQ Q4��4 Q��QQ Q��Q qI", Q1g`, ■Palo Alto ❑SJ/Santa Clara O EBMUD Cl EBDA ■Central Contra Costa B San Mateo ' 1 part per trillion (ppt) IS EQUIVALENT TO A SINGLE DROP OF / '? WATER IN 1 20 olympit-sized swimming pools = rs = A^ 6000 . s- \% _ 8 March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 29 of 37 4 Page 6 of 11 CALIFORNIA DRINKING WATER NOTIFICATION AND RESPONSE LEVELS In August 2019, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) recommended the notification level (NL) for PFOA and PFOS be set at the lowest reliable detection limit in drinking water to protect against cancer and non-cancer effects. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB/State Board) Division of Drinking Water (DDW) matched OEHHA's recommendations. • NLs of 5.1 ppt for PFOA and 6.5 ppt for PFOS • Response level (RL) at 70 ppt (discontinue source or provide treatment) In February 2020, the DDW lowered the RL from a combined (PFOA + PFOS) of 70 ppt to 10 ppt for PFOA and 40 ppt for PFOS. 00offirdyrRITIM M. 1 9 STATE BOARD'S PHASED PFAS INVESTIGATION PLAN • Phase I — issued in March 2019 Covered airports and landfills Phase II — issued in October 2019 Covered chrome plating facilities Phase III — issued in July 2020 Covered wastewater treatment plants MY J10 March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 30 of 37 5 Page 7 of 11 EVOLUTION OF PFAS INVESTIGATION •California Environmental Protection Agency(CaIEPA)and United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)coordinated to sample 2,807 public water supply wells in California for 6 PFAS(UCMR3,US EPA 1 Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule) 2015 W •May 2016-US EPA set Lifetime Health Advisory(LHA)limit for PFOA and PFOS of 70 ppt •November 2017-PFOA and PFOS added to the California Proposition 65 list 1 •June 2018-State Board established interim notification levels for PFOA/PFOS 1 E ary-US EPA released PFAS Action Plan State Board strategy for Statewide PFAS source investigation t-State Board lowered notification levels for PFOA/PFOS 1 mber-Department of Defense(DoD)prohibited the use of fluorinated AFFF and recommended ing levels for PFOA and PFOS in groundwater •January-California Assembly Bill 756:Established drinking water notification levels •February-State Board lowered the response •July-State Board issued WQ 2020-0015-DWQ Investigative Order to 249 publicly owned treatment works 1 1 (POTWs)for the sampling of 31 PFAS compounds •September-State Board expanded public water system testing based on 2019 data ' 11 JULY 2020 STATEWIDE ORDER VS. REGION 2 STUDY Comparison Point i July 2020 SWRCB Investigative Region 2 PFAS Study Participants 249 POTWs(>1 Million of Gallons 15(of 37) POTWs from Region 2 Per Day(MGD)Average Dry Weather Design flow) Sampling Frequency Quarterly sampling for one year Two Phases Sample Locations Influent, Effluent, Biosolids,and Influent, Effluent, Biosolids, and Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Sample types Composites Grabs Lab Requirements POTWs can use any lab that is All participating Region 2 California Environmental POTWs use the same lab(SGS Laboratory Accreditation Program AXYS) (ELAP)accredited for PFAS analysis ' 12 CFNTPAISAN March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 31 of 37 6 Page 8 of 11 CENTRAL SAN: PHASE 1 PFAS SAMPLING • Sampling Conditions: • PFAS-free supplies • No water-proof materials • No personal care products used • No fluor-polymer or glass containers • Sampling Locations: • Raw Influent • Final Effluent Raw Influent Grab Location • Cake, Scum, Wet Ash • Lab Reagent Water • Equipment and Field Blanks • Extra Study Participation: • Comparative Studies .r • Replicate Compositors s-F • Grab vs.Composite • Cake verses Wet Ash Cake Hopper 13 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO OUR INDUSTRY • Regulations • In January 2021 , US EPA issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking to regulate PFOS and PFOA under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act • Biosolids disposal • Land application or landfill • Recycled water ' 14 -` March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 32 of 37 7 Page 9 of 11 THE CHALLENGE OF PEAS TREATMENT IN WASTEWATER No standard analytical methods for PFAS in wastewater Negligible removal of PFAS through conventional wastewater treatment Current treatment technologies achieve separation, not destruction PFAS thermal destruction range = 600 to 3,600°F ' 15 CURRENT TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES Revere osmosis (RO) is effective at removal, concentrates e o a , but PFAS in ll� the RO membrane reject. }' Granular activated carbon and ion ' exchange are effective at removal, but require regeneration Ji ' 16 . i ' March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 33 of 37 8 Page 10 of 11 UPSTREAM REGULATION OPPORTUNITIES i The Safer Consumer Products Program under the SAFE R CONSUMER California Department of Toxic Substances Control PRODUCTS (DTSC) can require manufacturers to complete an alternatives analysis to find safer substitutes for harmful chemicals in consumer products. DTSC has established the following as Priority Products: • PFAS-containing treatments for converted textiles • PFAS in carpets and rugs • PFAS in food packaging PFAS LEGISLATION Recent legislation (both Federal and State) has focused on fire fighting foams and equipment. State legislation has expanded the State Board's authority over PFAS in drinking water. Upcoming legislation is anticipated to focus on product labeling requirements and bans of PFAS in certain products. 4, &6 ARV' 18 March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 34 of 37 9 Page 11 of 11 QUESTIONS? -7- 1 CFNTPAISAN ' 19 March 8, 2021 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 35 of 37 10