EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) adopted recommendations urging EPA to work with states to alter the permitting process to implement “maximum pollution allowances” for a given area to consider cumulative environmental and health impacts. The agency’s working definition states that cumulative impacts are “the total burden from chemical and non-chemical stressors and their interactions that affect the health, well-being and quality of life of an individual, community, or population at a given point in time or over a period of time.”
LGAC members highlighted the need for technical assistance, access to resources, and strategic communications to communities in order to support local communities in tackling PFAS contamination, advancing environmental justice, and utilizing resources from Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The LGAC’s draft letters of recommendation can be read here.