House Adopts Dingell FY21 Interior-Environment PFAS Amendments

Press Release

Today, the House of Representatives adopted three bipartisan amendments led by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) to the interior and environment appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2021 that would address regulating and clean-up of toxic PFAS chemicals.

Dingell's PFAS Amendments would:

Ensure the Trump Administration cannot withdraw their decision, issued in January, to proceed with a national drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS, the two most notorious toxic chemicals. It would also prevent the Administration from reversing its efforts to designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the Superfund Program, which will kick-start the clean-up process at the most contaminated sites nationwide (Dingell-Posey);

Increase EPA's Science and Technology account by $2 million to study the relationship between PFAS exposure and human susceptibility to COVID-19 (Hudson-Dingell);

Emphasize the need to include the harmful PFAS chemical GenX in the EPA's the development of Effluent Limit Guidelines under the Clean Water Act as part of EPA's PFAS Action Plan and to protect surface waters from PFAS contamination (Hudson-Dingell).

"PFAS is a national health and environmental crisis. It is growing in scope every day and has contaminated our air, water, and soil," said Dingell. "These forever chemicals are building up in the blood of every American and have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer and harm to the immune system. The inclusion of these three amendments in this year's appropriations bill will help address PFAS contamination, but there's still more we must do. That starts with the Senate taking up the House-passed PFAS Action Act."

According to the Environmental Working Group, 2,230 locations in 49 states are known to have PFAS contamination, including more than 300 military installations. The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team has so far identified almost 100 site across the state with PFAS contamination.

Earlier this year, the House passed with bipartisan support the Dingell PFAS Action Act, which would list select PFAS chemicals -- PFOA and PFOS -- as hazardous substances within one year under the Superfund program to direct federal resources to clean up contaminated sites and limit their spread. It would also require EPA to make a determination on all remaining PFAS chemicals within five years.

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