August 28, 2020
OEC Applauds Governor DeWine’s Call to Address PFAS in the Dayton Area
Columbus, OH — Yesterday, Governor Mike DeWine sent a letter to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Mark Esper asking the department to enter into a cooperative agreement with Ohio EPA and the city of Dayton to take more expedient and preventative measures to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination and protect the Great Buried Valley Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to more than 2.3 million people in Southwest Ohio, including more than 400,000 people in the Dayton metropolitan area.
A cooperative agreement would ensure better coordination with respect to: the exchange of PFAS-related information and data, oversight over drinking water source and finished drinking water assessments, implementation of potential treatment or other measures to address any PFAS contaminated drinking water near or above the current or future U.S. EPA Health Advisory Levels, and communications with potentially affected residents and businesses located in Dayton, surrounding areas and in the vicinity of the Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
In response, the following quote can be attributed in full or part to Pete Bucher, Managing Director of Water Policy with the Ohio Environmental Council
“We applaud Governor DeWine’s call to develop a more comprehensive plan to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Dayton area and call upon the U.S. Department of Defense to enter into the cooperative agreement. If enacted, the agreement would provide meaningful support to further ensure the community’s drinking water is safe and free of harmful PFAS chemicals. All Ohioans deserve access to safe and clean drinking water and we continue to encourage our state leaders to pursue a statewide approach to dealing with this public health threat.”
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