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Santa Ana council backs transparency, asks staff to prepare letter opposing proposed EPA PFAS rollback
Summary
Councilmember Becerra requested a letter opposing the EPA's proposed rescission/revision of PFAS limits and asked staff to draft an ordinance requiring any change to local drinking‑water standards to be approved in public by the City Council; council directed staff to proceed and emphasized Santa Ana's water is currently protected.
Councilmember Becerra told colleagues on June 16 that he would ask the City Council to send a letter opposing a proposed EPA action that would rescind or revisit regulatory limits for four PFAS compounds and to draft a local ordinance requiring council review and public vote for any change to Santa Ana’s drinking‑water standards.
“I'm asking my colleagues to submit a letter in opposition to the EPA’s proposal,” Councilmember Becerra said, and requested an ordinance to ensure any change to local standards comes before the City Council for public consideration.
Mayor Amezcua and other council members expressed support for the transparency request while reassuring residents that the city’s water supplies are not presently compromised. City representatives said Santa Ana is constructing PFAS treatment facilities that address the compounds at issue and that the city’s current 4 parts‑per‑trillion limits remain in effect. One councilmember noted that state standards remain more stringent than existing federal proposals.
Council direction: Council members agreed to move forward with Becerra’s requests and instructed staff to prepare the letter and the proposed ordinance. No final ordinance vote occurred during the meeting; staff will prepare materials for subsequent council action.
Why it matters: Federal regulatory shifts on PFAS could change compliance obligations for utilities and influence treatment needs and costs; the council’s letter and proposed local ordinance reflect concern about preserving public notification and oversight in water quality standards.
Provenance: Discussion began at SEG 2243 and concluded with council direction at SEG 2456.
