House Education and Labor Committee Passes Levin PFAS Measure

Today, Congressman Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township), member of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force, announced that the House Education and Labor Committee passed his measure to eliminate PFAS and other toxic substances from schools and educational settings. The provision was included in H.R. 604, the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act (RRASA).  

"Sadly, Michiganders know all too well the dangers of PFAS and the detriment it poses to our children’s health and development, even in small quantities. I’ve been laser-focused on doing everything I can to get PFAS out of our schools and communities as quickly and as comprehensively as possible,” said Congressman Levin. “I’m extremely proud to see my measure to keep our children safe from PFAS passed out of the House and Education and Labor Committee and look forward to it being brought to the House Floor. I can’t stress enough how urgent this issue is for the youngest Americans who are counting on us to lead. If we wait to act, we may cause easily avoidable harm to a generation of children.”

If passed by the full U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Levin’s amendment would:

• Ensure that school districts, formally called Local Education Agencies (LEAs), can use funds in the bill to test for, remove and eliminate PFAS contaminants from water and meal prep facilities in schools;
• Require states to issue regulations and develop a plan to address, reduce and eliminate PFAS in school drinking water; and
• Collect information on PFAS exposure in the state school facilities inventory database.

Since his first term in Congress, Congressman Levin has championed numerous efforts to address the growing hazard these dangerous chemicals pose to our communities. Last summer, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Levin’s PFAS Safe Disposal Act, a bill designed to protect Michiganders and all Americans from air contamination when PFAS chemicals are destroyed by incineration, and an amendment to authorize $100 million for a new grant program to test for and remediate PFAS in drinking water in our schools. In 2020, Congressman Levin joined his Michigan colleagues in leading a letter to demand higher standards and increased oversight for PFAS near schools and childcare facilities. In 2019, Congressman Levin's measure requiring the Secretary of Defense to ensure that all incineration of materials containing PFAS is conducted in a manner that eliminates PFAS while also ensuring that no PFAS is emitted into the air was signed into law.

_{Source:https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-education-and-labor-committee-passes-levin-pfas-measure}