Judge bars state from enforcing PFAS standards after Dec. 31

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A judge has ruled that New Hampshire must stop enforcing tough, new drinking water standards for a group of toxic chemicals by the end of the year.

New Hampshire Public Radio reports that Superior Court judge Robert McNamara granted a temporary injunction Tuesday requested by 3M and several others who opposed the standards that went into effect in October for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively called PFAS.

The parties sued the state’s Department of Environmental Resources Commissioner Robert Scott in September, alleging the agency didn’t follow the appropriate process in approving the standard. The state denied wrongdoing.

The New Hampshire standard limits one chemical to a maximum of 12 parts per trillion and another to 15 parts per trillion, far lower than the 70 parts per trillion the Environmental Protection Agency has advised for the chemicals.