On Jan. 23, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers, led by Reps. Dan Kildee (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) unveiled a House task force to address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. The chemicals have been used to manufacture nonstick and stain-resistant coatings in clothing, fast-food wrappers, carpets, and other consumer and industrial products. The task force will work to raise the profile of cleaning up pervasive chemicals in our water supplies, as well as educate House members and staff on the latest science and regulatory changes to curb the chemicals.
The task force has six Democrats and six Republicans: Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Antonio Delgado (D-NY), Fitzpatrick, Kildee, Peter King (R-NY), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Mike Turner (R-OH), Fred Upton (R-MI), and Tim Walberg (R-MI).
“It’s a bipartisan effort to sort of bring some focus to all of the disparate conversations,” Kildee said.
In addition, Kildee, with Upton and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), introduced a bill Jan. 14 (H.R. 535) to set a deadline for the Environmental Protection Agency to start ordering the cleanup of PFAS chemicals through Superfund law. States currently carry the burden of finding and asking parties to pay for cleanup, creating uneven consideration of water quality standards across the country.
The EPA’s recommended exposure limit for the combination of two PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), is 70 parts per trillion in drinking water over one’s lifetime. States, especially those on the East Coast, are setting their own limits for PFAS compounds in drinking water that are stricter than the EPA’s. The chemicals have caused concern because no consensus exists on how much is safe to consume, despite their widespread use. (Bloomberg BNA, 1/23/19)
