Senate EPW Holds Hearing on PFAS
On June 9, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing entitled, “PFAS: the View from Affected Citizens and States.” Four witnesses testified at the hearing to share their experiences and recommendations on PFAS from their personal, state, and water utility perspectives. The witnesses were Joanne Stanton of the Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water in Pennsylvania; James Kenney of the New Mexico Environment Department; Tracy Mehan of the American Water Works Association; and Scott Mandirola of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. The testimonies and questions focused on federal government actions to assess and address PFAS contamination and the associated impacts to drinking water, public health, the environment, and the economy. Key recommendations discussed during the hearing included the need to:
- Develop a federal PFAS drinking water regulation
- Develop federal Clean Water Act water quality standards with limits in permits for producers
- Designate PFAS as a hazardous substance under CERCLA
- Create a deadline for industry and the Department of Defense to remediate and address legacy PFAS pollution
- Use TSCA to prevent, limit, and track PFAS
- Continue research on needed PFAS science and health studies
- Increase funding for treatment, research, and state programs
ASDWA also submitted a Statement for the Record for the hearing that includes some similar recommendations. To view the recorded hearing and read the witness testimony, visit the Senate EPW website.
