New federal data shows where dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ may be handled in Whatcom
There are 54 industrial facilities in Whatcom County potentially handling toxic “forever chemicals” that can be harmful to humans and the environment, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. About half of those facilities are described as “active,” and many have a history of federal environmental violations.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, are a group of thousands of chemicals used in a slew of products such as stain-resistant furniture and carpets, non-stick cookware, food packaging and firefighting foam. They break down extremely slowly, hence their nickname of “forever chemicals.”
Human exposure to PFAS has been linked to health issues including cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility and increased risk of asthma and thyroid disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies from the CDC indicate that PFAS compounds are already in the bloodstreams of much of the U.S. population.
On Oct. 21, Washington state announced that it had determined that PFAS compounds meet the regulatory definition of hazardous substances under the state’s environmental cleanup law. This is an initial step toward more strictly monitoring and addressing PFAS pollution, said Mark Gordon, an environmental engineer at the state Department of Ecology’s Toxic Cleanup Program.
“We are transitioning from a reactive mode to being more proactive and dealing with these upfront to figure out where are they and what needs to be done,” Gordon said.
Washington state’s Department of Health is currently determining levels for five PFAS compounds in drinking water, which will be used to help inform PFAS standards for cleanup sites. The state regulatory updates will also require water systems to test for PFAS compounds and report results to the state and customers if they are above a certain level, according to a Department of Health news release on Wednesday, Oct. 27.
“We are working to fund PFAS testing for utilities,” the news release said. “We are also working with EPA on the details for laboratories to provide test kits very soon to water systems that volunteered for sampling.”
The state Department of Health does not yet have any information regarding PFAS levels in Whatcom County drinking water.
Some of the main industries potentially handling PFAS in Whatcom County include waste management, chemical manufacturing, electronics industry and metal coating facilities, according to the EPA data, which was obtained by the nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or PEER, through public records requests. The group began filing for the federal data when the EPA never delivered on a years-old promise to produce an interactive map of PFAS sources and concentrations.
The data reveals more than 120,000 facilities nationwide that may be handling PFAS, a figure more than three times higher than outside experts had estimated, according to PEER. In Washington, there are 1,317 facilities that may be handling PFAS, largely concentrated around Puget Sound.
Of the 54 Whatcom facilities that may be handling PFAS, 28 facilities have a history of noncompliance or violations under federal environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act. All but five of those facilities are still active. They include Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery, BP’s Cherry Point Refinery, Bellingham’s Post Point wastewater treatment plant, Bellingham International Airport and the Intalco Aluminum Corporation facilities in Ferndale.
For each facility, the EPA data shows the percentage of the population living within a three-mile radius that is part of a minority group, which includes anyone who is not white or is of Hispanic origin. The average minority population living near Whatcom facilities is about 19% of the total nearby population.
The facility with the highest minority population within a three-mile radius is the Everson wastewater treatment plant. About 29% of the surrounding community is part of a minority group.
Cleanup of PFAS is challenging and complex since there are so many different compounds, explained Gordon, the Department of Ecology’s environmental engineer. The chemicals are extremely mobile in groundwater, with the ability to travel miles, he said, and cleanup of PFAS in Washington state has been largely voluntary up until now.
There are currently no enforceable federal standards for any PFAS compounds, according to the state Department of Ecology. However, there is federal acknowledgment that PFAS are a problem: On Oct. 18 the EPA released a strategic roadmap for addressing PFAS.
Despite recent advances, the work to protect the region’s communities from PFAS pollution is far from over, the state said.
“Although Washington state has made great progress in dealing with PFAS, this is a long-term problem,” said the Department of Ecology in a news release on Oct. 21. “Efforts to reduce the use of PFAS and to prevent additional releases into the environment will continue to require resources into the future.”
Sites in Whatcom County that may be handling PFAS
This data was collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and published after the information was requested by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility under the Freedom of Information Act.
▪ Port Of Bellingham Georgia-Pacific West Site*
▪ Ershigs
▪ Lister Chain And Forge
▪ Chemco Incorporated
▪ Praxair Ferndale Co2 Plant
▪ Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery*
▪ Cherry Point Refinery
▪ Olivine Corp
▪ Raintree Products
▪ Justesen Industries
▪ Reinkes Fabrication Inc
▪ Sanitary Service
▪ Walton Tool Mfg Co
▪ Lehigh Northwest Cement Company
▪ Trio Technologies Inc
▪ Lynden Airport
▪ Chemical Svcs Nw Inc Aka Cesco
▪ Comptec Advanced Products Grou
▪ Praxair Services Inc
▪ Hunnicutts Inc
▪ Whatcom County Public Works G1 Yard
▪ Pacific Western Extruded Plast
▪ Toku E Co
▪ Recomp Of WA
▪ Point Roberts Landfill
▪ Hilltop Woodwaste Landfill
▪ County Construction Recyclers
▪ Treoil Industries
▪ Heritage General Building Contractors
▪ Bellingham International Airport*
▪ Foothills Recycling
▪ Kelly Moore Paint Co Inc Bellingham
▪ Bai Environmental Services
▪ Specified Fittings Inc
▪ Sonotech Inc
▪ Alpha Technologies
▪ Everson WWTP
▪ Ferndale Intermodal Facility
▪ Intalco Aluminum Corporation*
▪ Dunkin And Bush Bellingham Facility
▪ Safway Services LLC
▪ Safway Services LLC Bellingham Facility
▪ Bellingham Post Point WWTP
▪ Cedarville Landfill Site
▪ Tjoelker Farms
▪ Defense, Wa Air Natl Guard
▪ Itek Energy*
▪ Cowden Brothers Trucking Bellingham
▪ Freeman Security Services Inc Dba Ams Print Specialists
* indicates multiple locations
