Poll: 63% of Floridians are willing to pay higher water bills to clean up ‘forever chemicals’ – Florida Politics

Report on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Contamination in Florida

Executive Summary

A recent poll of 1,000 Florida residents indicates significant public concern regarding Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the state’s water supply, viewing it as a major public health issue. This contamination directly challenges the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). Despite a willingness among a majority of residents to fund cleanup efforts, there is a substantial lack of public awareness regarding the sources and health risks of these “forever chemicals.” Widespread contamination has been confirmed across the state, prompting legal action against manufacturers and a measured regulatory response. This report outlines the key findings related to public perception, the extent of contamination, and the ongoing efforts to mitigate this environmental and health crisis in alignment with global sustainability targets.

Public Health and Awareness: A Challenge to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

Public Perception and Willingness to Act

• A supermajority of informed Floridians perceive PFAS contamination as a serious public health problem.
• After being informed of the dangers, 89% of respondents viewed the chemicals as either a “major problem” (55%) or a “minor problem” (34%).
• A significant majority (63.4%) expressed willingness to pay higher water bills to fund the removal of PFAS from drinking water, demonstrating public support for achieving SDG 6.
• Over half of those surveyed (54%) believe current safeguards for managing and regulating PFAS are insufficient.

Gaps in Public Knowledge and Health Literacy

• General awareness of PFAS is low, with 42% of respondents having never heard of the chemicals and only 8% feeling “very familiar” with them.
• Understanding of the health risks associated with PFAS exposure, which is critical for SDG 3, is limited. Over a quarter of participants could not identify any associated medical conditions.
• Health risks linked to PFAS include kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, developmental issues, and high cholesterol, all of which undermine public health objectives.

Water Contamination and its Impact on SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)

Extent of PFAS Contamination

• PFAS are persistent compounds used in numerous consumer and industrial products that accumulate in water, soil, and living organisms.
• A 2024 University of Florida study confirmed widespread contamination, detecting PFAS in 63% of spring-vent samples across 67 counties. This network supplies 90% of the state’s drinking water.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a federal limit of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS, two common PFAS compounds.
• Hundreds of Florida water systems currently exceed these proposed safety levels, failing to meet the core objective of SDG 6 to ensure safe drinking water for all.

Case Studies in Contamination Levels

1. Miami-Dade County: Data shows PFOA and PFOS levels significantly exceeding the proposed 4 ppt limit, with some measurements as high as 14 ppt for PFOA and 43 ppt for PFOS.
2. Tallahassee: Water testing revealed PFOA levels at 8.5 ppt and PFOS levels at 9.5 ppt.
3. Delray Beach: PFAS levels in some areas were found to be more than seven times the safe threshold proposed by the EPA.

Institutional and Corporate Responsibility: Addressing SDGs 11, 12, and 16

Legal Actions and Corporate Accountability (SDG 12)

• Multiple lawsuits have been filed against chemical manufacturers, reflecting a push for corporate accountability under SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
• Major settlements have been reached, including a $10.3 billion agreement with 3M and a $1.18 billion agreement with DuPont and its subsidiaries.
• These funds are being distributed to municipalities to aid in remediation, supporting the development of sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11). Fort Lauderdale is set to receive nearly $35 million, Boca Raton $32 million, and Delray Beach $15 million.

Governmental and Regulatory Response (SDG 16)

• In 2022, Florida enacted legislation requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to establish new rules for PFAS cleanup levels, a step toward building strong institutions (SDG 16).
• The state has allocated $1 billion in federal infrastructure funds to reduce PFAS and other contaminants in drinking water.
• A significant regulatory gap remains, as Florida has not yet adopted its own legally enforceable maximum contaminant levels for PFAS.
• Public water systems are mandated to complete PFAS monitoring by the end of 2027 and must comply with the new EPA thresholds by April 2029.

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

The article on PFAS contamination in Florida’s water supply addresses several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by highlighting issues of public health, water quality, pollution, and corporate responsibility.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  This goal is central to the article, which frames PFAS contamination as a “serious public health problem.” It explicitly links exposure to these chemicals with severe medical conditions, including “kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, developmental issues, reduced vaccine response and high cholesterol.” The mention of a man with stage 4 cancer suing after finding high PFAS levels in his blood further underscores the direct impact on human health and well-being.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire discussion revolves around the contamination of drinking water by “forever chemicals.” The article notes that Florida’s freshwater network, which supplies “90% of its drinking water,” is widely contaminated. It details how “hundreds of Florida water systems exceed” the EPA’s proposed safe limits for PFAS, directly challenging the goal of providing safe and clean water for all.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article connects the pollution to its source: the production and use of PFAS in “nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, firefighting foams and other consumer and industrial products.” It identifies chemical manufacturers like 3M and DuPont as responsible parties, citing the multi-billion dollar settlements they have paid to resolve complaints. This directly relates to the goal of achieving environmentally sound management of chemicals and holding producers accountable for their products’ entire life cycle.

2. Specific Targets Identified

Based on the article’s content, several specific SDG targets can be identified as being directly relevant to the issues of PFAS contamination.

1. Target 3.9: Substantially reduce deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and pollution

   This target is addressed by the article’s focus on the health risks of PFAS. The text states that “Scientific research has linked exposure to them with kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, developmental issues…” This directly points to illnesses caused by water pollution from hazardous chemicals, which this target aims to reduce.

2. Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water

   The article demonstrates that this target is not being met in Florida. It provides specific data showing that drinking water is not safe, citing PFOA and PFOS levels in Miami-Dade and Tallahassee that are multiple times higher than the EPA’s proposed federal limit of “4 parts per trillion.” The fact that a supermajority of residents are “willing to help fund cleanup efforts” by paying higher water bills also touches on the affordability aspect of safe water access.

3. Target 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals

   This target is central to the problem described. The article details the widespread contamination of Florida’s water, noting a University of Florida study “detected PFAS in 63% of spring-vent samples.” The presence of these “nearly indestructible compounds” that “accumulate in soil, water and the human body” is a clear failure to minimize the release of hazardous chemicals, which this target seeks to address through cleanup and regulation.

4. Target 12.4: Achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes

   The article highlights a historical failure to meet this target. The widespread contamination is a direct result of the release of PFAS chemicals from industrial and consumer products. The lawsuits and massive settlements involving companies like 3M ($10.3 billion) and DuPont ($1.18 billion) are consequences of not managing these chemicals in an environmentally sound way, leading to adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

The article provides specific data and qualitative information that can serve as indicators to measure progress toward the identified targets.

• Indicator for Target 6.1: Concentration of hazardous chemicals in drinking water

  The article provides explicit quantitative data that can be used as an indicator. It mentions the EPA’s proposed limit of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS. It then provides specific measurements for various locations that exceed this limit:

  • Miami-Dade: PFOA at 14 ppt and PFOS at 43 ppt.
  • Tallahassee: PFOA at 8.5 ppt and PFOS at 9.5 ppt.
  • Delray Beach: PFAS levels “more than 7 times the safe threshold.”

  This data directly measures the safety of drinking water.

• Indicator for Target 6.3: Water quality assessment

  The finding from the 2024 University of Florida study that “detected PFAS in 63% of spring-vent samples across 67 counties” serves as a direct indicator of ambient water quality in the state’s freshwater network. This percentage can be tracked over time to measure the effectiveness of cleanup efforts.

• Indicator for Target 3.9: Public perception and awareness of health risks

  While not a formal SDG indicator, the polling data provides a measure of public awareness related to health risks from pollution. The article states that “Only 8% of Floridians surveyed said they were ‘very familiar’ with PFAS,” and over a quarter of participants could not identify any medical conditions associated with exposure. This suggests a low level of awareness, which is a barrier to addressing the health impacts.

• Indicator for Target 12.4: Financial commitments for remediation

  The article mentions significant financial figures related to accountability and cleanup, which can serve as an indicator of the scale of the problem and the resources being mobilized. These include:

  • $10.3 billion settlement from 3M.
  • $1.18 billion agreement from DuPont and subsidiaries.
  • $35 million for Fort Lauderdale and $32 million for Boca Raton in settlement payouts.
  • $1 billion in federal funds earmarked by Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection to reduce PFAS.

  These figures represent the financial cost of failing to manage chemicals responsibly and the investment in remediation.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: floridapolitics.com