When the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission meet next week, members are to consider a proposed rule amendment that will add parameters “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)” and “Organic Fluorine” to the Laboratory Certification Rule.
The meetings are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in the ground floor hearing room of the Archdale Building in Raleigh. Face coverings are optional for staff and attendees. There will be limited seating, and the public may also attend via remote access.
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The laboratory certification rule determines certification criteria for laboratory facilities performing any tests, analyses, measurements, or monitoring.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality said it expects to require many permitted facilities to test for PFAS in the near future. Permits require analyses to be performed by certified laboratories such as the Wastewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification Branch, which currently does not have the authority to certify for the parameter known as PFAS. This parameter must be added to the rule. The analysis of organic fluorine provides an aggregate measurement of chemical substances that contain carbon-fluorine bonds, according to meeting documents.
Also on the agenda is a request to proceed to public comment with 11 proposed reclassifications in Watauga River Basin.
The groundwater and waste management committee will meet 9:30-11:30 a.m. Jan. 11 followed by the water quality committee from 12:30-3 p.m. No meetings are scheduled for the air quality and water allocation committees.
During the groundwater and waste management committee meeting, a Division of Waste Management representative is expected to provide an overview of the five sections within division: brownfields, hazardous waste, solid waste, Superfund, and underground storage tanks, and provide 2023 updates for the division. The Division of Water Resources will provide an overview of the groundwater quality standards to the committee as well.
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Water quality committee members are expected to hear a semiannual progress report on 1,4 dioxane in the Cape Fear River Basin from Division of Water Resources staff.
The Environmental Protection Agency required public water supply systems throughout the United States to monitor for the presence of contaminants, including 1,4-dioxane, between 2013-2015. Results indicated that 1,4-dioxane was most prevalent in North Carolina in the Cape Fear River Basin. NCDEQ has conducted more sampling to better determine the concentrations of 1,4-dioxane, and their potential sources within the basin. The EPA established that 1,4-dioxane is a probable human carcinogen.
The Environmental Management Commission is responsible for adopting rules for the protection, preservation and enhancement of the state’s air, land and water resources. The commission oversees and adopts rules for several divisions of NCDEQ, including the divisions of Air Quality; Energy, Mineral and Land Resources; Waste Management; and Water Resources.
More information is available on the Environmental Management Commission webpage.
