Category Archives: PFAS

U.S. EPA recognizes sewage sludge on farmland among human health risks of PFOA and PFOS forever chemicals 2025-01-14

WWALS Science Committee Chair Dr. Tom Potter notes, “Finally EPA has recognized the risks of sludge application to farmland.”

Sewage sludge as fertlizer is a widespread problem in Florida.
https://wwals.net/?p=61560

These forever chemicals as in our rivers in Georgia and Florida. They collect in fish, including in the Alapaha River.

Waterkeeper Alliance encourages Waterkeeper groups to participate in the public comment period, which must be received on or before March 17. Individuals and other groups can also comment.

U.S. EPA recognizes sewage sludge on farmland among human health risk of PFOA and PFOS forever chemicals 2025-01-14

See EPA on Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) and https://www.Regulations.gov, EPA-HQ-OW-2024-0504; FRL 12451-01-OW. Continue reading →

Retrieving PFAS samplers, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-10-29, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23

Update 2024-11-30: Bad Sugar Creek, clean Withlacoochee River 2024-11-26.

Hurricane Helene destroyed three out of four PFAS samplers, and kept us from retrieving the fourth until long after time.

Hurricane Helene demolished PFAS samplers, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-10-29

Back on September 14 and 15 we deployed four PFAS samplers, upstream and downstream from two wastewater treatment plants, on the Withlacoochee River and on Mud Swamp Creek.

These are a new design that you leave in the flowing water for 28 days thereabouts, then retrieve, and effectively they were taking a sample a day.

But then came Hurricane Helene.

Thanks to Gee Edwards and Phil Royce for helping on the Withlacoochee River Saturday, after the chainsaw cleanup. Especially thanks to Phil for the tow back when the 9.9 hp outboard quit. We’ll investigate what is its problem this time.

We put the upstream sampler slightly up from Valdosta’s Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Outfall.

That was the only one we actually could retrieve. Continue reading →

Pictures: Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-10-26

The water level was not too low on the Little River, but it was too low on the Withlacoochee River for the WWALS jon boat with outboard. So, there was no chainsawing.

We’ve been waiting for the Withlacoochee River to get down to a level where we can do a walking chainsaw cleanup. With no rain in sight, it will be plenty low next Saturday, so that will be the time.

Water too low for jon boat outboard, Withlacoochee River, Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-10-26

Thanks to TJ Johnson for driving an hour from Live Oak to get there with chainsaws to lead this expedition, and for helping haul the jon boat back upstream on muscle and trolling motor batteries after the outboard did not restart after Trashy Shoals. Continue reading →

Upstream Withlacoochee River from Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup after Hurricane Helene 2024-10-26

Update 2024-10-27: Pictures.

Kayaks and canoes and jon boats are invited to join the WWALS jon boat with 9.9hp outboard seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect. After Hurricane Helene, there are probably new ones. We will go as far up as we can and have time for with sawing, maybe to the GA 133 Bridge, the I-75 Bridge, or even Sugar Creek.

Nobody has to use a saw of any kind. You can collect trash, photograph, video, pull limbs out of the way, or just paddle.

First we will jaunt downstream past the cleaned-water Outflow of Valdosta’s Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant and Spring Branch to pick up a couple of PFAS water sample collection devices we planted on September 14. If they’re still there after the hurricane.

If you’re paddling, you can just turn left at the Little River Confluence and go on up the Withlacoochee River.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, October 26, 2024

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

Upstream Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-10-26, From Troupville Boat Ramp, After Hurricane Helene

Continue reading →

PFAS Sampling Deployment, Withlacoochee River 2024-09-14, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-09-15

Update 2024-11-27: Retrieving PFAS samplers, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23.

This weekend we deployed four PFAS samplers, upstream and downstream from two wastewater treatment plants, on the Withlacoochee River and on Mud Swamp Creek.

These are a new design that you leave in the flowing water for 28 days thereabouts, then retrieve, and effectively they’ve been taking a sample a day.

If you encounter them, please leave them be.

PFAS Sampling Deployment, Waterkeeper Alliance Program, Withlacoochee River 2024-09-14, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-09-15

Continue reading →

Ask for U.S. House co-sponsors for PFAS amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act 2024-06-07

You can help ask your members of Congress to protect military servicemembers, the surrounding community, agriculture, industry, and wildlife.

Numerous military bases in recent years have reported contamination of waterways and groundwater by PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals that do not degrade over time, and can cause a variety of diseases.

Map: military sites with known or suspected PFAS discharges –EWG

Right now is an opportunity to get a couple of amendments into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to require the Department of Defense to tell everyone about PFAS contamination, to test to see how far it has spread, including private wells, and to provide alternate water supplies if necessary.

That PFAS work will also bring federal dollars to the districts.

You can sign on to a request letter here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeg8c_Stwv5iuXcEEgsYXIx9vIZRQy_lg4RoHIymcR7ZsYNYw/viewform

Or write your own, or call or meet with your Representative.

Affected bases include: Continue reading →

PFAS in the Santa Fe River Basin in Florida

Some people are interested in whether PFAS from titanium dioxide (TiO2) mines or other sources is getting into the New or Santa Fe Rivers in Florida.

For example, the new Chemours Trail Ridge South Mine southeast of Starke, Florida, appears to drain into Double Run Creek, which runs into the Santa Fe River.

PFAS in Santa Fe River from TiO2 Mines?
Detail from WWALS map of the Suwannee River Water Trail.

We don’t know about those rivers yet, because nobody has tested them. We do have a few datapoints for a few city drinking water systems, and they’re all clean, although Newberry, just outside the Basin, is not.

No doubt it is possible to find that data in FDEP’s Oculus Document Management System, in the same way it is possible to win a jackpot in Las Vegas. If you already know about six very specific parameters, sure, Oculus will find it. Continue reading →

PFAS fixes to wastewater treatment could keep drug residue out of rivers 2021-08-11

The PFAS problem may cause wastewater treatment that cleans up another bad problem: pharmaceuticals.

Tara Lohan, The Revelator (Center for Biological Diversity), August 11, 2021, What Happens to Wildlife Swimming in a Sea of Our Drug Residues?

Wastewater exposes plants and wildlife to hundreds of chemical compounds. Researchers are learning about potential side effects and solutions.

Effects range from obvious physical defects to behavior change. For example, bold crawfish are not safe crawfish.

Valdosta WWTP clean outfall, 2023-03-04, 30.8361045, -83.3595411

But a different type of contaminant may lead to fixes. Continue reading →

EPA Proposed PFAS NPDWR Public Hearing 2023-05-04

PFAS testing, Withlacoochee River, 2022-06-30

Public hearing to present information and receive public comment on the proposed PFAS NPDWR:

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a public hearing to present information and receive public comment on the proposed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The hearing will be held virtually on May 4, 2023, from 11am until 7pm eastern time. The number of online connections available for the hearing is limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Persons wishing to attend this public hearing are requested to register in advance no later than May 2, 2023.

During the virtual hearing, there will be Continue reading →

PFAS in sewage sludge as fertilizer 2023-03-30

Human sewage sludge used as fertilizer is a huge problem in Florida, causing algae blooms when it runs off into waterways. In Georgia, distributing sewage sludge as fertilizer may not be as common, but some Land Application Sites (LAS) rent their spray fields for growing hay or other crops. Plus such waste may also carry cancer-causing forever chemicals: PFAS.

Sewage sludge in Florida –WLRN 2023-06-02

Jenny Staletovich, WLRN 91.3 FM, June 2, 2021, State Tightens Rules For Sewage Sludge Used As Fertilizer But Leaves A Loophole In Place,

As damaging algae blooms continue to afflict Florida, the state is taking steps to crack down on and track pollution from biosolids, the waste from sewage plants loaded with nutrients that can fuel blooms.

But the new rules, conservationists warn, continue to ignore a loophole for about 40% of the state’s waste.
Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.