Surface Water and Fish Tissue Monitoring
Vermont DEC’s Watershed Management Division, in cooperation with Vermont Fish & Wildlife, samples water and fish in lakes and rivers around the State for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The goal of this work is to evaluate the scope of PFAS impacts on surface waters and the risks they may pose to human health and aquatic life. Monitoring efforts are primarily focused near likely sources of PFAS, such as industrial facilities, municipal wastewater discharges, and areas with significant urban runoff.
Reports summarizing the 2021 and 2022 monitoring efforts are available below.
- April 2022 - 2021 Vermont PFAS Surface Water, Fish Tissue, and Wastewater Treatment Facility Effluent Monitoring Report
- January 2024 – 2022 PFAS Surface Water and Fish Tissue Monitoring Report
Act 21 of 2019
Governor Scott signed Act 21 (Senate Bill 49), on May 16, 2019, containing, among other tasks, requirements to establish new water quality standards for PFAS chemicals.
- February 2020: ANR Report released: Deriving Ambient Water Quality Standards for the Emerging Chemicals of Concern: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) submit a comment