A bill meant to protect Alaskans from drinking water contaminated with PFAS — which stands for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances — had its first committee hearing in the Alaska Legislature on Thursday. PFAS, often called "forever chemicals" since they don’t break down naturally, are toxic and known to cause severe health problems.
Senate Bill 219 would limit the amount of PFAS allowed in Alaska’s drinking water to levels announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024, following the science on health effects. It would also require the state to test public drinking water sources annually and to provide residents with clean water if they test above those legal limits.
This comes two years after Alaska lawmakers passed a law ending the use of PFAS in firefighting foams, which is the leading source of PFAS in the environment, especially at airports and military bases. PFAS are also found in a variety of products like non-stick cookware, waterproof fabrics and food packaging.
Jenna Colquhoun is the legislative secretary for Sen. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks, who introduced the bill. She said at the Senate State Affairs Committee hearing that the bill would expand the responsibilities of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, which has logged PFAS at hundreds of sites around the state, including in Gustavus, Anchorage and Fairbanks.
“What it does is it establishes an annual expectation for the DEC to test all public water systems in the state for PFAS,” she said. “That way, they are continually monitoring our drinking water to ensure that it’s safe for Alaskan citizens.”
Health issues linked to PFAS include several types of cancer, reproductive problems and immune system issues.
Colquhoun said the cost to provide clean drinking water would be borne by the party responsible for spilling PFAS or the chemical manufacturer. Business giants 3M and The Chemours Company, a spin-off of DuPont, have been some of the largest PFAS producers on the market.
Janet Neilson has lived in Gustavus for about 30 years. In 2018, the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities alerted residents that PFAS was found in groundwater around the Gustavus airport, which is located upstream from neighborhoods.
Researchers tested her kids’ blood as part of a study published in 2022 that traced PFAS contamination at the airport through the drinking water and into residents’ bodies. Neilson testified at the hearing that her two kids were exposed to PFAS at school.
“Without SB 219, Alaska is effectively telling its citizens that levels up to 70 parts per trillion in their water are safe and they are not. We know that,” Neilson said. “And I know now that my family was not so lucky, even though we didn’t live inside the plume. My kids were drinking contaminated, poisoned water at their preschool and at their school at 40 parts per trillion.”
Right now, Alaska does not have enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS, but recommends action at 70 parts per trillion. Many wells in Gustavus tested at or above that in 2024 — the last time testing was done. DOT provides clean drinking water to some properties there.
Those levels — 40 and 70 parts per trillion — are far higher than EPA standards announced in 2024, which capped levels for some of the forever chemicals at between 4 and 10 parts per trillion after a slew of studies found serious health impacts even at low concentrations. For reference, one part per trillion is like a single drop of water in around 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
But under the Trump Administration, the EPA announced its intent to rescind or delay those new standards. Neilson said that means the state should take the lead on protecting Alaskans. Several states have enacted laws on PFAS in drinking water.
DOT and DEC estimate that enforcement would cost nearly $19 million in the first year, according to the bill’s fiscal notes.
Pamela Miller is the executive director and senior scientist at Alaska Community Action on Toxics, a nonprofit that advocates for PFAS regulations. She testified at the hearing.
“People do continue to be exposed to dangerous levels of PFAS, and this failure to act puts people at long-term risk,” Miller said. “We believe this is a critical and urgent public health issue that should not be delayed further.”
She said the nonprofit has distributed more than a hundred PFAS water test kits to communities across the state.
Heather Koponen is a retired physician’s assistant who has spent most of her life in Fairbanks. She said at the hearing that she used one of those tests on her well at home and found high levels of PFAS. She previously believed her property was far enough from the plume.
“As time went on and I researched more of the impacts, I thought, well, maybe there’s even a connection with a recent diagnosis I have of a rare autoimmune disorder called relapsing polychondritis, in which my body attacks its own cartilage,” she said in her testimony.
A companion bill, House Bill 235, has been introduced by Rep. Carolyn Hall, D-Anchorage. The bills are written to address public drinking water sources. Neilson, the parent who raised her kids in Gustavus, said she hopes that will include private wells.
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