Rep. Pappas Reintroduces Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act

Press Release

Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Antonio Delgado (D-NY), along with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) reintroduced their bicameral Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act, which would regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals under the Clean Water Act to finally stop manufacturers and other polluters from contaminating our nation's waterways with toxic levels of PFAS.

Currently, there are no Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations limiting how much PFAS polluters can discharge into the environment. This means that the companies that manufacture products using PFAS chemicals can release PFAS into federally regulated waters unchecked, endangering public health and requiring costly clean-up and treatment efforts to protect drinking water sources. The burden of costly clean-up efforts are often placed on the communities themselves, rather than on the companies responsible for the contamination. The Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act regulates PFAS under the Clean Water Act in order to help stop toxic levels of PFAS from entering water sources in the first place.

The PFAS Action Act, which Pappas helped introduce in April, contained a key provision based on the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act, and was praised by local advocates in New Hampshire.

"PFAS is one of the most pressing environmental and public health issues facing our nation today -- impacting millions of Americans," said Congressman Pappas. "The Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act takes critical steps to hold polluters accountable, establish proactive limits for PFAS, and support communities that have been directly affected. I am proud to help introduce this legislation in the House, and I remain committed to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan fashion to fight for better standards, increased investment, and a stronger national focus on the issue of PFAS contamination."

Local New Hampshire advocates praised the legislation introduced by Pappas:

"I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to Congressman Chris Pappas for his continued, multipronged, efforts to press for stricter regulation to curb sources of PFAS contamination that end up in our kitchen tap water in New Hampshire. Stopping the pollution before it gets in the environment is the most cost-effective and efficient way to address this problem that plagues our communities across the state." - Mindi Messmer, scientist and co-founder of New Hampshire Safe Water Alliance

"I am thankful to Congressman Chris Pappas for his unwavering commitment to the protection of our planet and public health from the dangers of PFAS. His work to direct the EPA to establish important PFAS standards, publish water quality criteria, and award grants to publicly owned water treatment works to implement PFAS pre-treatment standards is especially important to those of us living in communities with known, significant impact. Recognizing the need to stop exposure, now- not later, citizens in communities like mine, though not responsible for the contamination, have borne the burden of this cost in an effort to protect ourselves from the PFAS in our public drinking water. Passage of this important legislation will protect other communities from our experience." - Nancy Murphy, Merrimack Town Councilor

PFAS impacted communities in Merrimack, NH and several surrounding communities have been powerless to stop the source of vast environmental contamination due to the lack of federal regulations prohibiting PFAS discharges. The Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act will finally stop pollution of our water sources at the source and give us the rights that we don't currently have to hold known parties accountable to true environmental stewardship. - Laurene Allen, Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water

"To address the PFAS contamination crisis, we need to turn off the tap of PFAS pollution," said Environmental Working Group's Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Scott Faber. "No one is doing more to make reducing industrial discharges of PFAS a priority than Congressman Pappas. Ordinary people are paying the price for decades of delay, so we need champions like Congressman Pappas to keep the pressure on the EPA."

According to a map published by the Environmental Working Group, PFAS contamination has been detected in every state other than Hawaii. Contaminated areas include military sites that use firefighting foam containing PFAS and industrial sites where PFAS chemicals were manufactured or used in production.

Specifically, the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act would do the following:

Require the EPA to develop water quality criteria under the Clean Water Act for all measurable PFAS or classes of PFAS within two years, and develop effluent limitations guidelines and standards for all measurable PFAS or classes of PFAS within four years. This includes establishing pre-treatment standards to prevent the introduction of PFAS into publicly-owned water treatment facilities, stopping PFAS at the source before it gets into the municipal water system.
Identifies nine priority industry categories that EPA must establish standards for including: Organic Chemicals, Plastics and Synthetic Fibers (OCPSF); Pulp, paper, and paperboard; Textile mills; Electroplating; Metal finishing; Leather tanning and finishing; Paint formulating; Electrical and electrical components; and Plastics molding and forming.
Authorize $200 million per year for grants to assist Publicly Owned Treatment Works with implementation. The grant program would be run by EPA and funding would be appropriated through Fiscal Years 2022-2026.
Original cosponsors of the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act include Senators Schumer (D-NY), Warren (D-MA), Merkley (D-OR), Blumenthal (D-CT), Casey (D-PA), Markey (D-MA), Durbin (D-IL), Feinstein (D-CA) and the legislation is led in the House by Representatives Pappas and Delgado.

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