Rhode Island Announces New Maximum Contamination Levels (MCLs) For Six PFAS Compounds

On June 21, 2022, the Rhode Island legislature passed HB7233 and it was signed into law June 27th. The bill adopts a 20 part per trillion (ppt) MCL for six PFAS compounds, stated in the bill below.
 

The law requires that:

• The Rhode Island Department of Health to promulgate regulations for PFAS in public water supplies by July 1, 2023, and
• The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management adopt groundwater standards by Dec 31, 2023.

The law will have a wide impact to water suppliers, environmental investigations and remediation programs, property transactions, and wastewater treatment facilities.

Below is an excerpt from the bill regarding its impact on groundwater and surface water regulation.
 

46-32-5. Groundwater quality standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

On or before December 31, 2023, the director or the department of environmental management shall file under § 42-35-4 a final rule with the secretary of state to adopt groundwater quality standards for, at a minimum, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHxA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) consistent with authority provided by chapter 32 of title 46.

46-32-6. Surface water quality action levels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

On or before December 31, 2023, the director of the department of environmental
management shall file under § 42-35-4 a final rule with the secretary of state to adopt surface water quality action levels to address the contamination of Rhode Island waters from releases of, at a minimum, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), and
perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA).
 

The full text of the bill and associated status information can be found here.