Landmark bipartisan PFAS Action Act passes House

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the PFAS Action Act of 2021, generating several new limits on PFAS pollution within the nation.

The Act still needs to pass the Senate and White House. However, the White House has already voiced approval for the legislation.

The PFAS Action Act of 2021 regulates the chemicals by: designating PFAS as hazardous substances to allow the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up contaminated sites, limiting industrial discharges of PFAS, providing $200 million annually to assist water utilities and wastewater treatment facilities, and creating a national drinking water standard for select PFAS chemicals.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals that have so far been found in the drinking water of almost 2,800 communities. They are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. PFAS are a large family of fluorinated chemicals, some of which have been linked to cancer, reproductive harm, immune system damage and other serious health problems.

More than 320 military sites across the U.S. have PFAS contamination, and more than 200 million Americans may be drinking contaminated water.

“We need deadlines to ensure that the EPA will take the steps needed to reduce PFAS releases into our air, land and water, to filter PFAS out of tap water and to clean up legacy PFAS pollution, especially near Department of Defense facilities,” said Scott Faber, Environmental Working Group’s senior vice president for government affairs. “We applaud Reps. Debbie Dingell and Fred Upton for continuing to make PFAS pollution a priority.”

More particular effects of the Act would:

• Require the EPA to establish a national drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS within two years that protects public health, including the health of vulnerable subpopulations
• Designate PFOA and PFOS chemicals as hazardous substances within one year and require the EPA to determine whether to list other PFAS within five years
• Designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous air pollutants within 180 days and require the EPA to determine whether to list other PFAS within five years
• Require the EPA to place discharge limits on industrial releases of PFAS and provide $200 million annually for wastewater treatment
• Prohibit unsafe incineration of PFAS wastes and place a moratorium on the introduction of new PFAS into commerce
• Require comprehensive PFAS health testing
• Create a voluntary label for PFAS in many products.

SOURCE: Environmental Working Group