Description_GWWMC_ActionItem_02L_PFASGWStandards

Action Item 1: Request Approval to Proceed to the EMC with Request for Public Notice
and Hearings for the Proposed Rule Amendment to 15A NCAC 02L .0202
Groundwater Quality Standards and the Fiscal and Regulatory Impact
Analysis
(DWR) Bridget Shelton

Description: The Division of Water Resources is proposing groundwater quality
standards for eight per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a
group of chemicals of specific concern in North Carolina. To ensure the
protection of groundwater as a source of drinking water and to protect
human health, it is necessary to identify sources of PFAS contamination in
groundwater, prevent further contamination, and take steps to remediate
any existing contamination. This subset of PFAS were selected for
rulemaking because they have available health effects data to support the
derivation of the necessary toxicological values for groundwater standards
development, the literature bases for all eight compounds have been
evaluated by a federal agency, these PFAS have been detected in North
Carolina’s environmental media, and there is a final EPA test method for
measuring these compounds in different environmental media. DWR staff
have evaluated the available scientific data to develop groundwater
standards for these eight PFAS in accordance with 15A NCAC 02L .0202
Groundwater Quality Standards.
The Division of Water Resources requests approval from the GWWMC to
proceed to the EMC with a request for public notice and hearings for the
proposed rule amendment to 15A NCAC 02L .0202 Groundwater Quality
Standards and the associated Fiscal and Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA).

Recommendation: The Division recommends that the GWWMC approve the proposed rule
amendment to 15A NCAC 02L .0202 Groundwater Quality Standards and
the RIA to proceed to the EMC with the request for public notice and
hearings.