SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 9 JUNE 24-30, 2024 FOCUS ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT TAWNIE WILSON WATER PARTNERS Mike Kromrey of Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and Elizabeth Robertson of City Utilities keep an eye on the region’s watershed. ‘Forever chemicals’ by Karen Craigo · kcraigo@sbj.net Elizabeth Robertson, City Utilities of Springfield’s director of water treatment and supply, is a chemist, but sometimes she’s also a detective. In November 2022, Robertson’s team began testing for a pernicious pollutant known as PFAS. The acronym stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – industrial chemicals with multiple applications – that are often called “forever chemicals.” “When they were developed, it was because of those properties – they were hard to break down, waterproof, durable, great for a lot of applications in the industrial and commercial world, but that makes them really terrible for the environment,” Robertson said. “They were made for our benefit, but it just so happens they have this negative side effect.” That negative side effect is that they break down slowly, and as the Environmental Protection Agency explains on its PFAS fact sheet, they are found in the blood of people and animals worldwide, as well as in water, air and soil. The chemicals are found in so many consumer and industrial products that they are challenging to study. Not long into her team’s investigation, Robertson said they found PFAS in the James River. That led to an investigation of its tributaries. “We followed the breadcrumb trail,” she said. Simultaneously, Minnesota-based 3M (NYSE: MMM), a global company with a Springfield factory at 3211 E. Chestnut Expressway, began to make the news as communities across the country sued it for allegedly polluting water sources with PFAS. Even so, Robertson said, the investigation focused on waterways. “We did not start at 3M and work our way down,” Robertson said. “We started with the James River, which led us to Jones Spring, which is less than 2 miles from the 3M factory.” It turns out that 3M had logged incidents with PFAS chemicals with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “They did not get in touch with us, but they reported something to MDNR,” said Robertson. “They did not consider the fact that with the karst typography and groundwater system, they would have impacted our sources.” This year, the EPA passed a rule limiting future PFAS levels in drinking water to 4 parts per trillion. A news release from City Utilities states, “1 ppt is equivalent to one drop of water in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools or equivalent to one second in 32,000 years.” In the past year, CU says it has detected a range of 3.1 to 16.0 ppt in the James River. Robertson said she remembered waking up one morning and opening her email to find a test result from Pearson Creek, which is fed by Jones Spring. It revealed levels of PFAS at 39 ppt. “I read it, and I was like – oh, my gosh,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it.” Robertson said she put a monitoring plan to work. “It’s been pretty consistent for the last several months coming out of Jones Spring and Pearson Creek,” she said. “I haven’t noticed a decrease yet, but they’re forever chemicals – they’re made for durability. “I don’t know what the half-life is there or how long it’s going to take to break them down in the environment, but it’s going to be a very long time.” CU sues On June 3, CU filed a lawsuit against 3M in the U.S. District Court for the Western District See FOREVER on page 12 $10.3B Class-action settlement by 3M to 11,000 public water systems CU, Watershed Committee partner to safeguard water amid new threat
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