CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A listening tour about so-called “forever chemicals” is continuing this week in the Eastern Panhandle, where PFAS have been identified in some of the local drinking water sources.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), in partnership with the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, and other local organizations, is hosting a series of community meetings in the Eastern Panhandle to help identify potential sources of PFAS contamination in public drinking water systems.
This week, they’ve already been in Harpers Ferry and Charles Town hosting meetings, according to Autumn Crowe, Deputy Director West Virginia Rivers Coalition.
“It’s very interactive. We want to be engaged with the public, so there are some activities we do to discuss the problem areas in other parts of the country that have found these PFAS and the solutions that they’ve come up with,” Crowe said recently on Panhandle Live. “And then we actually take a look at some maps and we ask the public, are there any places that you’re concerned about that we really want to engage the public in gaining their insight and their local knowledge into potential sources of these chemicals.”
PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are widely used in stain-resistant, waterproof, and non-stick products and are known to persist in the environment. PFAS have been detected in multiple Eastern Panhandle public water systems, including Berkeley Springs, Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Kearneysville, Martinsburg, and Summit Point. Current research indicates that exposure to some PFAS may lead to negative health outcomes.
The meetings will provide residents with information about PFAS, answer questions, and gather community input to help identify potential sources. This feedback will guide WVDEP in developing PFAS Action Plans for each affected water system in the region, as required under the PFAS Protection Act (HB 3189). The law directs WVDEP to identify and address PFAS sources in raw-water supplies through the creation of action plans and by strengthening reporting requirements for certain facilities.
Wednesday evening, they’ll be in Martinsburg from 6–8 p.m. at The Holiday Inn, 301 Foxcroft Avenue.
Thursday, Oct. 2nd, they’ll be in Berkeley Springs from 6–8 p.m. at The Country Inn, 110 South Washington St.
All meetings are open to the public, and light refreshments will be provided.
Among those areas where PFAS have been detected, according to the WVRC, are some in the Eastern Panhandle:
Here are the water systems that showed elevated levels of PFAS in the statewide sampling of source water commissioned by DHHR and DEP, conducted by USGS in 2020.
- Berkeley County
- City of Martinsburg
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Rocky Knoll Elementary
- Morgan County
- WV American Water – Apple Orchard Acres
- Jefferson County
- WV American Water – Walnut Grove Utilities
- WV American Water – The Mountain Water System
- South Jefferson Elementary
- Eastern Panhandle Preparatory Academy
- Blue Ridge Primary School
- Blue Ridge Elementary
The WVDEP’s partnership with the West Virginia Rivers Coalition is supported by a $1 million Government-to-Government (G2G) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This grant provides a unique opportunity to work directly with community groups to implement the PFAS Protection Act through community-driven, science-based solutions and development of PFAS Action Plans. The grant was originally terminated by EPA on March 12, 2025, but following WVDEP’s appeal, it was reinstated on July 1, 2025.
More information is available here.
