WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) this week led a bipartisan letter with 26 of their House colleagues calling on Speaker Pelosi and Republican Leader McCarthy to ensure that funding to adequately assess, monitor, and remediate PFAS contamination across the country is included in a final infrastructure package.
Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is one of the most pressing environmental and public health issues facing our nation. PFAS, a large group of toxic man-made chemicals, are typically used to help make consumer and industrial products resistant to water, grease, or stains. Their widespread use in applications such as food packaging, commercial household products, electronics manufacturing, and firefighting foams has resulted in the contamination of water and soil across the United States. According to recent analysis, more than 200 million Americans could be drinking PFAS-contaminated drinking water.
Excerpt from the letter:
“While prior federal funding has not been sufficient to address the issue, we believe there are opportunities this Congress to make historic investments to address PFAS. Therefore, we support the highest amount of funding necessary in a final legislative infrastructure package to assess, monitor and remediate PFAS.
“Congress should make historic investments in PFAS assessment and remediation in the upcoming infrastructure package. The funding is win-win, providing immediate jobs for the economy while cleaning up these dangerous chemicals. It would be a much-needed step toward protecting our communities and the environment from these ‘forever’ chemicals. We look forward to working with you to ensure this funding is included in any infrastructure package taken up by Congress.”
Specifically, letter urges Congress to ensure that federal dollars are appropriated and executed as part of a national, programmatic strategy led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This would include:
- Harnessing an extensive national data set to apply predictive analysis to accelerate science and understanding, creating innovative approaches to remediation and treatment.
- Providing water utilities and wastewater treatment facilities the resources they need to address PFAS contamination, without placing a financial burden on local ratepayers.
- Prioritizing spending to immediately implement interventions that reduce PFAS contamination in vulnerable communities.
- Envisioning long-term goals that systematically regenerate our natural systems.
