FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: ECOS Executive Director Ben Grumbles, (202) 266-4929 or bgrumbles@ecos.org or
Lia Parisien, (202) 266-4931 or lparisien@ecos.org
Environmental Council of the States (ECOS)
State Environmental PFAS Initiatives and Research Needs Documented in ECOS National Reports
Washington, DC – This week, ECOS published two major reports highlighting state initiatives to get out ahead of key environmental challenges.
The first report identifies state efforts and opportunities for action on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in biosolids, which are solids produced from municipal wastewater treatment processes. The paper details the challenges associated with managing PFAS-contaminated biosolids and, based on the results of a survey of state environmental agencies, delves into each state’s legislative and regulatory landscapes, monitoring and treatment processes, testing and analysis protocols, and risk communication needs as they pertain to this matter.
“ECOS has provided the most comprehensive survey to date of what states are doing and what our federal partners can do with us to advance the science, improve public understanding and risk communication, and deliver real and achievable solutions,” says ECOS President Myra Reece, Director of Environmental Affairs with the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control. “The report lays the foundation for forging critical partnerships with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Agriculture, and others.”
Also this week, ECOS published the results of its 2022 biennial survey on state research needs. This survey, conducted by ECOS research subsidiary the Environmental Research Institute of the States (ERIS), identifies key state research priorities, which are then conveyed to EPA’s Office of Research & Development and other federal agencies. The survey enabled ECOS members to identify their priority issues requiring additional research in the areas of PFAS, air quality, drinking water, water quality, waste and remediation, adaptation, and cross-media. ERIS then engaged with state environmental agency subject matter experts to hone in on priority areas identified.
“ERIS’s detailed survey of state environmental research priorities creates a national roadmap for progress and partnerships with federal agencies, Congress, and others, underscoring the PFAS challenge and other pressing issues that states, EPA, and various organizations must tackle together,” says ERIS President Scott Thompson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
For more information, see the ECOS PFAS webpage and ERIS website.
ECOS is the national nonprofit, nonpartisan association of state environmental agency leaders. For more information, visit www.ecos.org.
