Senate panel advances bill to require PFAS testing of industrial dischargers

RICHMOND — The Senate subcommittee on water usage voted to report SB 138 to the full Senate committee after stakeholders urged stronger monitoring of industrial sources of PFAS, chemicals that persist in the environment and can accumulate in drinking water and biosolids.

Senator McPike, the bill’s patron, told the panel the measure targets large industrial users that discharge PFAS to public wastewater systems and would require ‘‘applicable laboratory test method’’ standards for monitoring. ‘‘This is a bill, similar to what we passed last year that was ultimately vetoed by the governor,’’ McPike said.

Utilities and conservation groups said the bill fills a monitoring gap. Chris Pomeroy of the Virginia Municipal Drinking Water Association and the Virginia Association of Municipal Wastewater Agencies said the industrial control piece ‘‘is a critically important piece’’ to protect treatment plants and the affordability of service for ratepayers.

Committee members pressed witnesses on what tests would satisfy the bill. Pomeroy and other witnesses said the U.S. EPA’s Method 1633, now issued in an updated form as Method 1633a, is the appropriate laboratory method. ‘‘The U.S. EPA spent the last several years developing a method called Method 1633. It’s now in an updated version called 1633a,’’ a witness said. Pomeroy later summarized: the legislation ‘‘would mandate 1633 as the test method.’’

Michael Krolban, director of the Department of Environmental Quality, told the committee the administration had no position on the bill but noted technical implementation questions, including how DEQ would specify methods and whether administrative regulations would be needed to standardize testing and reporting.

Environmental groups including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters urged support, saying industrial monitoring is necessary to reduce PFAS entering wastewater and ultimately biosolids and farm fields. The American Chemistry Council said it supported the bill’s goals but had technical concerns and would continue working with the patron and DEQ.

After questions and discussion, a committee member moved to adopt an amendment in concept and then to report SB 138 as amended to the full committee; both motions carried on voice votes. The subcommittee recommended that the bill move forward to the full committee for further consideration.

Next steps: SB 138 will be considered by the full Senate committee, where amendments and technical language about the applicable test method and implementation are likely to be debated.