Interview with George Erichsen, Director, St. Mary’s County (MD) Metropolitan Commission
PFAS from the Patuxent River Naval Air Station is discharged 2 miles out into the Chesapeake Bay.
.by Pat Elder
June 7, 2021
Questions in bold from Military Poisons; answers from Mr. Erichsen in plain type; explanations in italics.
Has the PFAS been removed from materials discharged by the Navy before being sent to the environment?
No additional treatment specifically for the removal of PFAS is provided other than the permitted ENR technology.
Enhanced nutrient removal (ENR) technologies allow sewage treatment plants to provide an advanced level of nutrient removal, achieving 3 mg/l total nitrogen and 0.3 mg/l total phosphorous.
Has PFAS been discharged into Pine Hill Run? this time - or ever? It's a pretty safe bet that all POTW's discharge PFAS.
Marlay-Taylor discharge is approximately 2 miles out into the Chesapeake Bay, Pine Hill Run is not a permitted discharge point for this facility. We do not test wastewater for PFAS, but if it exists in the wastewater and passes thru the treatment system – it is discharged.
POTW’s are publicly-owned treatment works.
Do you agree that American wastewater treatment plants like METCOM do not treat PFAS before it is released into the environment?
It is treated like all other influent, but most likely not fully removed from the final effluent. Treatment plants across the Country utilize different technologies, but it is safe to say that it is not a federally regulated compound. We do understand that PFAS compounds exist in many common consumer products, so it would be reasonable to assume that it may be in the effluent of WWTPs across the country. As you are aware, wastewater treatment plants are not the creators PFAS, nor do they grow or manufacture it. WWTP’s receive it and treat influent using current technology.
Standard operating procedures at wastewater treatment plants do not remove PFAS. METCOM is not the culprit here.
Do you feel that the substances ought to be regulated by fed and state government?
We follow and meet all regulatory requirements and track all legislation regarding this and many other substances (ie. lead and copper rule, etc). All compounds that are listed within our permits are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Maryland Department of the Environment. As you are aware, in May 2020, the EPA issued a rule that 500 industrial or federal facilities will collect information to document the volume of 172 types of PFAS they release, dispose, or recycle. The 172 chemicals are the first per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that the facilities have had to report to the EPA’s toxic release inventory. Facilities that release 100 or more pounds of the so-called forever chemicals must report the data. The first reports are due July 1, 2021. This, we believe, is the first step in determining wastewater regulatory discharge levels of per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Thank you. See JD Supra’s reporting here: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/epa-adds-pfas-to-313-reporting-for-2020-94946/
Would you support an MDE testing program to monitor PFAS levels in wastewater and biosolids?
We would have no objection to an MDE testing program.
Can you identify the farms in Charles and Calvert that have received sludge from Marlay-Taylor?
The contractors currently haul the majority of sludge to Virginia. Disposal locations can be obtained.
Thank you. Residents in Virginia and in Charles and Calvert counties ought to know where these toxins are being spread.
Have you ever tested for PFAS in wastewater or sludge? If so, what were the levels?
No.
Can you describe, specifically, what happened to the PFAS-laden materials after they landed in the holding tank and after they were defoamed?
The effluent was treated and released. There were no permit violations during this time period. MDE was made aware of the incident and required no additional testing or treatment.
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Apologies to Mr. Erichsen for publishing the prior piece stating, “METCOM Director George Erichsen would not confirm the release of the toxins.” I didn’t give him enough time to respond. St. Mary’s County is fortunate to be served by METCOM.