In recent years, chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, or "forever chemicals" have become a topic of international concern. Used since the 1950s in a wide variety of products, it is now known that these chemicals can persist in the environment – and our own bodies – for decades or centuries. According to the Washington State Department of Health, PFAS are linked to health issues including high cholesterol, reproductive problems, and cancer.
Bellingham has tested for PFAS in its wastewater since 2009, and in its drinking water since 2013. As of an April 2023 report by the city, no PFAS has been found in the city's drinking water, while concentrations well below the national average are found in the city's wastewater. Within the past five years, both the federal EPA and Washington State's Department of Health have released standards for PFAS concentrations in drinking water.
All of this also means that Bellingham has no recourse regarding the comparative lack of regulatory clarity for solids created during wastewater treatment. While federal and state governments have worked to provide standards for these solids, neither the state of Washington nor Washington, D.C. currently have working standards.
In 2019, the state's Departments of Ecology and Health were authorized to regulate PFAS-containing products, and to date, PFAS has been banned from being added to food packaging, cosmetics, certain types of furniture, cleaning products, and more. In some other categories of products, such as cookware, companies are now required to report usage of PFAS, although it is not banned in these products yet.
On July 18th, the EPA announced its research and development office would be closing, and if this comes to pass, over a thousand researchers could be laid off. In years past, the EPA has been crucial for assessing and regulating the risks associated with PFAS.