Page 6 - An Information Session on PFOA

Understanding Standards

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the government

agency responsible for setting the legal limits for contaminants in tap

water and overseeing overall water quality. Currently, the EPA has no

federal drinking water standard for PFAS compounds.

• The NJ Safe Drinking Water Act adopted by the NJ legislature directs

NJDEP to develop and adopt drinking water standards for

contaminants of concern in NJ, including contaminants that do not

have EPA drinking water standards (MCLs).

• The EPA has established a lifetime health advisory level (not a

regulatory standard) of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for the sum of PFOA

and PFOS in drinking water. This EPA level was established to provide

a margin of protection to all Americans as well as those who are

immuno-compromised or in special populations (elderly, children).

NJDEP did not think that standard sufficiently health protective.