Op-ed: Setting the record straight on PFAS in Henderson

Much has been said and written about the presence of PFAS in our community. Some of it is it true, but some of it is not. As director of manufacturing at Shamrock Technologies, I want to ensure you that safety is our top priority. My family and I live in Henderson, too, so this is an issue that is personal for me, as well as professional.

I also served in the U.S. Navy for eight years, primarily as an officer on nuclear-powered submarines. During that time, nothing was more important than the wellbeing of my shipmates. Here in Henderson, nothing is more important than the wellbeing of our neighbors and employees. Openness and transparency are important, as well. So I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight about PFAS and the current situation in Henderson. 

First a bit about Shamrock Technologies. We employ more than 120 people in our three Henderson facilities who are committed to making the world a safer, cleaner and better place. Our products are powder lubricants that keep the world from wearing out. Moreover, we recycle a material called PTFE so that less new PTFE needs to be produced to meet the world’s needs. Over the years, we have recycled more than 150 million pounds of PTFE, which has effectively kept an estimated 1.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, a greenhouse gas, out of our atmosphere.

As for PFAS, this is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. According to the American Chemical Society: “Some 5,000 to 7,000 chemicals are categorized as PFAS, which are used to make products from firefighting foams to nonstick cookware. Many are immensely useful.” PFAS also are present in food packaging, stain-resistant carpeting, vehicle brake pads, lubricants, plastic medical devices and other products. In fact, PFAS are used in so many places that these substances are detectable across our environment and in many people’s blood.

In 2018, Shamrock Technologies conducted environmental testing and found some of these substances in and around our three facilities in Henderson. We quickly notified the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and made immediate housekeeping changes. Since then, we have been working closely with the DEP to determine the full extent of the presence of PFAS via a process called “characterization.” It's important to remember that Shamrock Technologies violated no laws and remains in full compliance with all guidelines and policies.

Some people have called PFAS “hazardous waste.” That’s simply not true. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified true hazardous waste materials with regulations designed to protect all of us from substances proven to pose health risks. However, PFAS are not listed as hazardous waste under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act nor as hazardous air pollution under the Clean Air Act.

In fact, currently there are no binding state or federal standards for PFAS in the environment. The science behind PFAS constituents is developing and the EPA has a roadmap for creating regulatory standards. However, in 2016 the EPA issued a non-regulatory health advisory based on the science at the time that established 70 parts per trillion (ppt) in drinking water for two specific members of the PFAS family called PFOA and PFOS. The EPA establishes health advisories to assist state and local officials in managing drinking water systems. However, health advisories do not set regulatory limits or standards and are not enforceable. To put the PFOA/PFOS health advisory in perspective, 70 ppt is less than one drop in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

In Henderson, extensive testing has found no instances of PFOA or PFOS exceeding the health advisory level in municipal drinking water or private drinking-water wells. Where PFOA or PFOS have been found, levels are well below 70 ppt. And there is no evidence that even these small amounts of PFOA and PFOS in some testing samples came from Shamrock Technologies.

Some people have been wondering about PFAS in the Ohio River, where Henderson sources its drinking water. When the Kentucky DEP tested levels of PFAS in the Ohio River in 2019, the results showed very low levels. Again, there is no evidence that these traces came from Shamrock Technologies. In fact, levels were lower near Henderson than in some places upstream from our community. In other words, the section of the Ohio River running through Henderson was cleaner than some places where our river water flows from.

Even while we at Shamrock Technologies continue to characterize the extent of PFAS in our community, we have taken major steps to reduce the amount of PFAS in and near our facilities. In 2019, we removed two underground storage tanks from our property that were used to collect scrubber water and storm runoff when we discovered PFAS in the tanks. We now securely transport scrubber water and storm runoff off-site for safe disposal. We also have upgraded our dust-containment standards, installed filters on fans that blow air outside of our buildings and installed vacuums to improve fugitive dust emissions.

We have successfully transitioned the major products in our current PTFE micropowder portfolio toward REACH Compliance. REACH is a set of regulations created in Europe designed to protect the environment from unacceptable risks posed by chemicals. We are now shipping these regulatory compliant products globally. At the same time, we also are pushing toward more stringent standards. This effort is complemented by our expanded portfolio of non-PTFE products that approach the same performance benefits in finished goods. 

Our agreement with the Kentucky DEP sets the process for us to determine the extent of PFAS and for taking any necessary steps to address, contain or remove contaminants. We are voluntarily meeting all steps under the agreement. The state reviews Shamrock Technologies’ work, and Shamrock responds to all requests from the state for information or additional work. 

We have created a PFAS Awareness page on our website where we will post updates as needed. I am representing Shamrock Technologies on Henderson’s new PFAS Working Group, established to help everyone in the community better understand what this situation means for all of us. I encourage anyone with questions to engage with the group at public meetings, which are listed on the city’s website. 

At Shamrock Technologies, we support further research into PFAS. After all, many of our employees and their families work and live in this community. Their safety and their neighbors’ safety are our top priorities.

Scare tactics and misinformation have no place in the discussion about PFAS. In fact, it’s important to keep in mind the views of many outside experts like the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. In a recent PFAS fact sheet, they wrote: “Having PFAS exposure or PFAS in your body does not mean you will necessarily have health problems now or in the future. Most people in health studies do not have health effects, even when exposed to high amounts of PFAS.”

In the spirit of openness, transparency and accuracy, I look forward to continuing to work with the Kentucky DEP, the City of Henderson and our neighbors. And Shamrock Technologies looks forward to continuing to act as a positive presence in our community.

Michael Jusslia is a Henderson resident and director of manufacturing for Shamrock Technologies.