EPA issues first-ever drinking water standards for ‘forever chemicals’
Amara Strande died of cancer about a year ago this month. She was just 20 years old, but had become an activist in her short life after being diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer five years earlier. The cancer, which eventually spread to her throat and lungs, was attributed to her exposure to a group of toxic chemicals known as PFAS.
Just weeks after her death and after at least five appearances before the Minnesota Legislature, lawmakers passed “Amara’s Law,” banning the use of PFAS in the state. Yesterday, on a call with reporters, senior Biden administration officials remembered Strande as they announced the first-ever national and legally enforceable drinking water standard for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
“The first national drinking water standards for PFAS marks a significant step towards delivering on the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to advancing environmental justice, protecting communities and securing clean water for people across the country,” said Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, in a statement.