Elyria planning to monitor wastewater for 'forever chemicals'

Editor's Note: this story has been edited to correct the name of Shane Derricotte. ELYRIA — The city is seeking state money to monitor its wastewater system for a type of 'forever chemicals' which can cause cancer, immune issues and other health problems. On Monday, proposals to enter into a contract and seek a loan from the Ohio EPA were approved out of committee and sent before City Council for final approval. If approved, the legislation would allow the Elyria Water Reclamation Facility to test the city's wastewater for PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS are a group of thousands of chemicals that are widely used in everyday products varying from non-stick pans to raincoats. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, widespread use of these chemicals has led to them being found in water and the blood of people and animals all over the world. They are called "forever chemicals" because they do not decay in a natural environment and have been connected to health conditions including cancer. The Centers for Disease Control states that the concentration of the most common types of PFAS in the blood of Americans has been decreasing since the 2000s, but it is still believed that nearly every living American has such chemicals in their blood. Water Reclamation Assistant Superintendent Shane Derricotte said the EPA does not currently regulate PFAS in wastewater and reclaimed water and will not by the time Elyria enters its next EPA agreement at the end of this month, but it is actively working to do so in the near future. He said that monitoring the city's wastewater for PFAS contamination now would prepare the city when those new regulations are implemented. On Monday, the city's Utilities, Safety and Environment and Finance committees recommended the approval of a loan request to the Ohio EPA to fund the testing and a contract with an outside company to carry it out. Derricotte said that the city had requested slightly more than $200,000 through the state EPA's Water Pollution Control Loan Fund. About $90,000 would be used for a contract with HDR Engineering Inc. of Cleveland to carry out the monitoring, and the remainder would be used to buy needed equipment. Derricotte said that there would be three rounds of testing included in the contract. Elyria had previously done PFAS monitoring in 2021 when the risk and prevalence of the contaminant became more well known. Derricotte said he did not expect the new tests to reveal any difference between current contamination levels and what was seen a half a decade ago. "I don't really expect any fluctuation from the previous testing," he said after the meeting Monday. "These contaminants are so widespread. They are pretty much everywhere. And they have been around for a very long time. There should not be much difference." Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.