NEW ALBANY, Ohio (WCMH) -- As questions surround the fate of Intel and its New Albany plant, some oversight groups are scrutinizing "forever chemicals" that could come into play at the factory. Known as PFAS, the group of manmade chemicals are found in drinking water, food packaging and more. Zach Schiller, research director at Policy Matters Ohio, said they have been associated with high cholesterol, thyroid disease and various kinds of cancers. They're called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down easily in the human body or the environment. "It's been found now that there are large numbers of people that have these in their bloodstream," Schiller said. "More and more research is finding that these are linked to all kinds of health risks." That's why Schiller and Lenny Siegel, director of the Center for Public Environmental Oversight, are concerned about Intel's Ohio One project being built in Licking County, despite the latter acknowledging "we need Intel." In comments submitted to the state's EPA, Policy Matters Ohio argued that based on the semiconductor manufacturing company's expansion in Chandler, Arizona, it's clear Intel plans on using a variety of PFAS. "The semiconductor industry considers them essential to production," Siegel said. Policy Matters Ohio recommended the state start looking at PFAS used by the semiconductor industry, beyond the six already being addressed by proposed regulations, by using wastewater sampling. Without doing so, the group posed that local water systems could be at risk. NBC4 reached out to Intel for comment on its potential use of PFAS at the New Albany plant. In response, a spokesperson for the company sent the following statement: "As a company committed to environmental sustainability, corporate responsibility, and the safety of our workers and communities, we strive to minimize our use of substances that pose risks to the environment or human health," the statement said. "Use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) materials in our semiconductor manufacturing process is limited, but critical. We have been and are continuing to work with industry partners and researchers to explore ways to further reduce our use of PFAS materials." The suggested wastewater sampling wouldn't be the first time Ohio studied forever chemicals. In 2019, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the Ohio EPA and Department of Health to analyze the prevalence of PFAS in the state's drinking water. Called Ohio's PFAS Action Plan 1.0, it prioritized testing Ohio's nearly 1,500 public water systems to determine if forever chemicals are present in drinking water. Now, the state's EPA and Department of Health have moved on to Ohio's PFAS Action Plan 2.0, which is focused on mitigation, standards and more. To combat forever chemicals, the U.S. EPA established a rule setting maximum levels for six PFAS under the Safe Water Drinking Act that went into effect on June 25. Part of Ohio's plan is bringing the state up to date with those federal regulations. They are expected to be implemented and enforced by spring 2027. "The U.S. EPA announced a maximum limit of four parts per trillion, so it's hard to even visualize four parts per trillion and how small that is, which is a good thing. That's basically zero," said Anne Vogel, director of the Ohio EPA. Vogel said that there are over 1,000 drinking water systems and communities across Ohio where these standards will be enforced. Four parts per trillion is undetectable for all practical purposes, according to her. However, there are thousands of PFAS, and the state and federal EPA's regulations only limit six. Siegel pointed to states like Michigan and Minnesota, saying that Ohio should follow their leads to set standards for water that address other compounds in use by Intel. Vogel said that, despite concerns over Intel's impact on the local water supply, the state is constantly sampling public water, running it through a lab and looking for anything harmful. She emphasized that all of the state's drinking water systems already work. "There's a lot of information available on our website in terms of what Ohio is doing to address PFAS, and we'd be happy to answer questions as people learn more about it and are concerned," Vogel said. "It's really important to me and the governor that people know that we're doing everything we can to be protective of human health and the environment." Intel's work on the New Albany plant is said to be finishing between 2026 and 2027, with the fabs expected to come online between 2027 and 2028. That's a delayed timeline from its originally projected 2025 opening. The tech corporation recently announced plans to spin off its entire foundry division and the chipmaking factories under it into a new company. But with President-elect Donald Trump's victory on Election Day, the Ohio One project could see further complications. GOP Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said before the election that Republicans would try and repeal the CHIPS and Science Act, legislation expected to help fund the plant, under a Trump presidency.