PFAS Water System Superfund Liability Relief Bill Reintroduced in House
On February 12, House Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) and Celeste Maloy (R-UT) reintroduced H.R. 1267, the “Water Systems PFAS Liability Protection Act.” This bipartisan bill is aimed at protecting water and wastewater systems from Superfund liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA), as passive receivers of PFAS contamination. EPA designated PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA in April 2024 and subsequently said it will use its “enforcement discretion” policy to focus on responsible polluters that have profited from PFAS. However, members of both the House and Senate want to ensure that drinking water and wastewater ratepayers will be permanently protected from CERCLA cleanup liability and costs for PFAS. For more information, read the press release from Perez’s office.
