EPA gives California $77 million to address PFAS in drinking water

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $77.257 million grant to California to fund efforts to address PFAS and emerging contaminants in California communities that need it the most.

Photo Credit: USEPA Region IX

According to EPA, the funding is part of a comprehensive, lifecycle-based strategy to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exemplifying EPA's commitment to Making America Healthy Again (MAHA) by ensuring clean water for all.

“With this investment, EPA is demonstrating our commitment to the goal of every American having safe drinking water,” said Acting EPA Pacific Southwest Region (Region IX) Administrator Michael Martucci. “Providing funding, affordable financing, and technical assistance to help Pacific Southwest communities get PFAS out of drinking water will bring lasting positive impacts where they are needed most.”

The grant is part of an overall $144.5 million funding effort for states and territories across the Pacific Southwest, allocated as follows:

Funding Allocations

• American Samoa $9,457,000
• Arizona $20,003,000
• California $77,257,000 
• Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands $9,457,000
• Guam $9,457,000
• Hawaii $9,457,000
• Nevada $9,457,000

For more information on this grant program, click on this link: Emerging Contaminants – Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant program

Platform Habitat offshore the Santa Barbara coast catches fire, U.S. Coast Guard, others respond quickly

Platform Habitat, an offshore platform that used to produce natural gas, caught fire today around 6:30 AM PDT. The fire was extingushed at 11:40 AM PDT.

Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

According to the U.S. Coast Guard - one of the responding agencies - the crew of the platform were conducting decommissioning operations for the platform which had previously stopped producing natural gas from 20 wells.

According to news reports, there were 26 personnel on board the platform when the fire started and all of them had been successfully returned onshore with only two minor injuries. Some of those personnel have returned to the platform to conduct safety work.

At this time, there has been no oil spill or other apparent adverse impact to marine life or the environment, however, an investigation into just what happened is underway.

Other agencies that responded to the fire included the Ventura County and City Fire Departments, the Santa Barbara County and City Fire Departments, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Marine Spill Response Corporation.

Platform Habitat was originally installed by Texaco in 1981 and began operations in 1983 as part of the Pitas Point Field in the federal Pacific Outer Continental Shelf. It is located approximately 7.5 miles southwest of Santa Barbara in 290 feet of water depth. Several other companies have since operated the platform which sent gas via pipelines to processing facilities in nearby Carpinteria. The current operator is Dos Cuadras Offshore Resources.