The state of South Dakota will spend up to $250,000 to clear PFAS chemicals from local areas in the coming year. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS or โforever chemicals,โ break down at an exceedingly slow rate in the natural environment. Theyโre found in products like nonstick cookware, water-resistant items like umbrellas or rain jackets, and cleaning products, among other items.
Concerns about their prevalence in the environment and their impacts on human health have grown steadily in recent years, as theyโve been discovered in drinking water, fish and food packaging. PFAS are also found in a kind of firefighting foam thatโs fallen out of favor, but fire departments around the U.S., including in South Dakota, still have some and need to dispose of it.
The South Dakota Board of Water and Natural Resources awarded a $250,000 Solid Waste Management grant to the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) last month to help communities collect and dispose of some PFAS sources. The citizen-led water resources board evaluates projects and signs off on funding through the solid waste program.
