CHEMICALS

Martin Kimmes, ornton’s water treatment and quality manager, said last year that amount is approximately equal to one drop of detergent in enough dishwater to ll a 10-mile-long train of railroad cars.

For the other four, the regulation would be “...to limit any mixture containing one or more of PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and/or GenX Chemicals.

For these PFAS, water systems would use an established approach called a hazard index calculation, de ned in the proposed rule, to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS pose a potential risk.” e move comes after the EPA set a health advisory at those same levels in June of 2022. Current best evidence shows that PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, can increase levels of cholesterol in some and an lead to risky pregnancy, kidney and testicular cancer, among other complications. ey are used in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. e new round is about $301 million and will be coming to Colorado from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Allergan Finance, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens over the span of 15 years.

I would also like to see a plan for how we will use those dollars,” City Councilor Karen Bigelow said at the March 7 meeting.

Matt Court, assistant city attorney, presented the item and said the state has reached settlements with ve additional opioid manufacturers and distributors. ese settlements build o of previous settlements council agreed to receive in October.

When the EPA rules were released in 2022, ornton was over the limit. In May 2022, the ornton Water Treatment Plant measured 7.1 parts per trillion for PFOA and 3.5 parts per trillion for PFOS. e Wes Brown Water Treatment Plant saw 5.4 parts per trillion for PFOA and 2.0 parts per trillion for PFOS.

“ ornton sta are currently reviewing the draft rule to determine if current treatment strategies are su cient to meet the requirements and, if not, what changes and associated funding would be required to meet the new requirements,” a news release from ornton Spokesperson Todd Barnes reads.

If the rule is nalized, it will require public water systems to monitor for these chemicals. If they exceed the regulation, the city will have to notify the public and reduce the PFAS contamination.

Court said that 20% of those funds go to local governments and will be divvied out to di erent municipalities across the state.

“ e city will be entitled to about $550,000,” Court said.