Image courtesy of state of North Dakota
PAYTON GALL — Historically, if there were concerns about polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, North Dakota Environmental Quality officials would send the approximate 100 samples they acquire a year to out-of-state labs.
These chemicals are in some products we use in our homes, which end up in our garbage, therefore ending up in our wastewater, according to Kark Rockeman, deputy director of the NDDEQ. Officials say that the amount of PFAS testing required for states is going up, so a $70 million State lab is being built on the Capitol grounds in Bismarck, projected to be completed in June 2026. The future local testing capabilities will save up to 9 months of wait times when testing for these forever chemicals in our drinking water, which will be a huge part of their upcoming testing programs, as required by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The new facility will also work on replacing lead pipes in homes and provide additional toxicology services to help diagnose and manage exposure to harmful substances that may cause health problems.
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