Posted: January 11, 2024
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is gathering community and stakeholder input on a new draft plan to reduce the prevalence of a family of chemicals known as PFAS.
These chemicals exist throughout our environment and are found in things like food packaging, nonstick cookware, certain types of firefighting foam, and to make clothes, carpets and furniture resistant to water and stains. When people come in contact with the chemical, they can cause certain health impacts. The department has taken significant steps to reduce the chemicals across the state since they were first discovered in Colorado in 2016.
“Colorado has been and will continue to be a leader in addressing these harmful chemicals,” said Trisha Oeth, Director of Environmental Health and Protection at the department. “Our team has put science, data, and public health protection at the center of this draft plan, and our upcoming work with community members and other stakeholders is key to a collaborative approach to making these principles a reality.”
The department will host two virtual community meetings to gather feedback on the draft plan. Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, from 1 to 3 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 27, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Visit the PFAS Action Plan web page for more information and to register for the meetings. The department is committed to keeping people informed, listening to and acknowledging their concerns, and informing them how their input influenced the action plan.
The draft 2024 PFAS Action Plan includes a wide range of actions that will use the best available science to: Identify and reduce Coloradans’ exposure to PFAS; Assess and provide information on PFAS health risks; and Prevent PFAS releases and address known releases.
A previous plan developed in 2019 accomplished the following:
- Sampling campaigns to assess the chemicals in drinking water, surface water, private wells, industrial and wastewater discharges, and fish tissue.
- Multiple PFAS maps to display sampling results, ensuring data are transparent and accessible.
- Regulations, policies, and legislation to address PFAS.
- A takeback program for PFAS-containing firefighting foam.
- Grants to provide Colorado communities with funding to address contamination.
“Colorado can be proud of its progress so far on reducing peoples’ exposure to these chemicals, but we won’t stop now,” Oeth said. “We encourage all community members to join us and our partners as we continue to take bold steps to protect Coloradans’ health and the places we live, learn, work, and play.”
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