So-called “forever” chemicals in the groundwater near the Mississippi River have been an issue for a number of years, and Hastings is beginning to see increases of PFAS. The City was not included as a community in the settlement between the State of MN and 3M, and now the Hastings City Council is looking at options for recompense of the cost to deal with PFAS in the City water supply. Councilmember Tina Folch explains.
According to City documents, several PFAS chemicals have been present in all six Hastings municipal wells for years, but do not exceed the Minnesota Department of Health index of 1.0. Now the federal Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release draft regulatory values for PFAS in the coming weeks that will lower the tolerances in drinking water supplies. Hiring an environmental law firm is expected to help the Council plot the best course of action to address the issue.
