ASDWA, ECOS, and ASTHO Send Letter to President Biden Seeking Support from Federal Agencies to Remove Sources of PFAS

Today (8/10), ASDWA, along with the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), sent a letter to President Biden requesting that the administration focus additional federal resources and support to federal agencies and the actions they are undertaking to address PFAS contamination. The associations argue that “[b]ecause PFAS are used prolifically across manufacturing processes, successful management of PFAS chemicals will require a wide range of federal actions to reduce the daily release of PFAS into the environment and the corresponding risks to public health.” The letter emphasizes that federal agencies, including EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Defense, must prioritize using their combined regulatory authorities to reduce or eliminate the introduction of PFAS into the environment, and to remediate PFAS contamination that already exists.

Similarly, the associations request that federal agencies continue prioritizing work to deepen our understanding of PFAS health effects. Additionally, the associations note that federal agencies “must provide support to states, territories, and localities in communicating about these public health risks with water systems and their communities.” Finally, the associations request that the Biden administration prioritize federal resources and support to state and territorial agencies and their efforts to address PFAS contamination. Referencing EPA’s recently proposed PFAS drinking water regulation, the associations argue that “we cannot fully address PFAS in drinking water without tackling the widespread PFAS contamination throughout the environment.”