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Wild Virginia will host an online program Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 7 p.m. to rally opposition to two draft state permits involving PFAS discharges into waterways connected to the Potomac River.
The group is urging the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to hold public hearings so residents and water users can voice concerns. It also wants the permits to require PFAS monitoring and impose limits on known releases of the chemicals.
One draft permit covers polluted stormwater discharged from Fort Belvoir into Accotink Creek and other Potomac tributaries. The U.S. Army has identified PFAS contamination in land and water around its facilities. Wild Virginia argues that the permit fails to address those known sources and should include stronger protections.
The second permit concerns discharges from Arlington County’s Water Pollution Control Bureau wastewater treatment plant into Four Mile Run. Data collected by the plant’s owners indicate that PFAS has been released into the waterway.
Wild Virginia contends that state regulators have not adequately addressed PFAS in either draft permit and is organizing the online session to help participants submit comments calling for stricter requirements.