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Andy posted an update
Mike Day:
Everyone can Educate.
Many questions have been raised about Lebanon’s wastewater treatment plan for up to 100 MGD from a semiconductor manufacturer in the LEAP District. We have been told that this water will be sent to Indianapolis via the Eagle Creek and White River to be used to correct water insecurity. We have also been told this wastewater may be returned to Tippecanoe county. Indianapolis, Marion County, and Tippecanoe County residents should know the truth about PFAS from semiconductor manufacturing in wastewater and the associated negative health effects of PFAS.
We KNOW “many uses of specific PFAS are essential to the ability to fabricate semiconductors. Furthermore, there are no known substitutes currently available in most applications that semiconductors can’t be made” (Isaacs, 2023). Unfortunately, “available treatment technologies do not destroy PFAS” (Wastewater – Washington State Department of Ecology, n.d.).
We KNOW “most industries are allowed to flush PFAS-containing waste into wastewater drains, these chemicals flow into treatment plants and are not removed during sewage treatment, according to The Sierra Club” (Tuser, 2022). We KNOW that PFAS “can have serious health effects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including decreased fertility, hormonal changes, increased cholesterol, weakened immune system response, increased cancer risk, and growth and learning delays in infants and children” (Loria, 2019). “PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals’ as they are extremely persistent in our environment and bodies. They can lead to health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues and cancer” (What are PFAS and how are they dangerous for my health?, n.d.).
We KNOW there is a “growing body of scientific evidence has identified at least some of these chemicals as raising environmental and health concerns. As a result, governments around the world are considering proposals to address concerns associated with the use of PFAS” (Isaacs, 2023). Indiana Department of Environmental Management continues to study PFAS management. It is currently known that “three treatment processes can be effective for PFAS removal: granular activated carbon, ion exchange resins, and high-pressure membrane systems.” (Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.). These methods come with costs and the question is WHO should foot the bill? “Unless the manufacturers responsible for this pollution are held accountable, the billions of dollars to clean the contaminated water will a burden borne by rate payers, who have also likely been exposed to the toxic chemicals” (DiGiannantonio, M. & Sansone, K. 2023). Rep. Ryan Dvorak and Rep. Carey Hamilton have authored a bill to address PFAS in drinking water. “House Bill 1530 PFAS water safety standards equires the Indiana department of health (department) to establish state maximum contaminant levels for PFAS in water provided by public water systems. Provides that maximum contaminant levels established by the department: (1) must be protective of public health, including the health of vulnerable subpopulations; and (2) may not be less stringent than any maximum contaminant level or health advisory promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency” (Indiana General Assembly. (n.d.). A battle against the EPA and clean water regulations has already begun. Chemours Co. located in North Carolina makes PFAS chemicals used for semiconductor manufacturing. “Chemours has asked the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to vacate a 10 parts per trillion (10 ppt) health advisory that the EPA set last year for the PFAS, hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) dimer acid, and its ammonium salt. The outcome of a Chemours Co. lawsuit challenging a PFAS health advisory the EPA set for drinking water could affect cleanups, public health, and regulatory processes, attorneys said in recent interviews. “If their lawsuit succeeds, it could open all health advisories to the threat of lawsuits,” said Olson. “That would make it harder for [the] EPA to issue health advisories, leaving people in the dark about the threats their drinking water may pose”(Rizzuto, 2023). In my opinion, the LEAP pipeline project to supply semiconductor manufacturing in Lebanon and also correct water insecurity for Indianapolis and Marion County is a BAD idea for taxpayers. Sending PFAS contaminated toxic wastewater to Indy for them to deal with is not an acceptable SOLUTION. Citizens of Indianapolis deserve clean drinking water also. Sending this UNTREATED wastewater back to Tippecanoe County is also UNACCEPTABLE. Hoosier taxpayers should NEVER have to pay to clean this mess up. Stopping the LEAP pipeline will stop an environmental and economic disaster. Please sign and share the petition to stop the LEAP pipeline project.
Please forward this information to all contacts in Indianapolis, Marion County, and Tippecanoe County. Thank you for your efforts. DiGiannantonio, M. & Sansone, K. (2023) Treatment and funding options for removing pfas from drinking water, WaterWorld. Available at:
(Accessed: 18 November 2023). Environmental Protection Agency. ( n.d.) PFAS treatment in drinking water and wastewater – state of the science … Available at:
https://www.epa.gov/research-states/pfas-treatment-drinking-water-and-wastewater-state-science
(Accessed: 18 November 2023). Indiana General Assembly.
https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2023/bills/house/1530/details
Isaacs, D. (2023, April 27). Technical papers highlight need to maintain essential uses of PFAS in semiconductor industry. Semiconductor Industry Association. Loria, K. (2019, April 8). Should you be concerned about PFAS chemicals? Consumer Reports Rizzuto, P. (2023, May 22). Chemours’ PFAS Challenge Affects Semiconductors, State Cleanups. Bloomberg Law. Available at:
(Accessed: 18 November 2023). Tuser, C. (2022, June 8). Analyzing PFAS in sludge and various remediation efforts. Water & Wastes Digest. 1 Wastewater – Washington State Department of Ecology. (n.d.). Home – Washington State Department of Ecology.
What are PFAS and how are they dangerous for my health? — European Environment Agency (no date)
https://www.eea.europa.eu/help/faq/what-are-pfas-and-how#:~:text=They%20are%20known%20as%20
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