Maloney’s PFAS testing bill approved by House after multiple attempts

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Print
Photo: Lance Cpl. Shawn Valosin/U.S. Marine Corps.

WASHINGTON DC –  Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) is celebrating the passing of his long-awaited PFAS Testing Act. The bill was combined with similar PFAS legislation, all included in the PFAS Action Act, a bipartisan legislative package that aims to protect Americans from “forever chemicals” — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Maloney said the July 21 House approval will protect air, land, and water from PFAS contamination by setting drinking water standards, placing limits on waste disposals, and designating the chemicals as hazardous substances.

Maloney’s bill, which he first introduced in 2019, requires testing of all PFAS under the Toxic Substances Control Act by any entity that manufactures or processes PFAS chemicals. His bill also requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set testing requirements for all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and make all results public.

“Access to clean and safe drinking water is something every family deserves,” said Maloney.“I am proud my legislation to require the testing of PFAS substances and the publication of results was included in this bill. This bipartisan legislation is an important step towards safeguarding our health and protecting the land, air, and water around us for generations to come.”

PFAS are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because the toxins don’t break down over time and have been linked to serious health effects including cancer, premature death, asthma, and infertility. The chemicals were a common ingredient in firefighting foam until recent legislation changed the practice.

When unacceptably high levels of PFAS were found in the City of Newburgh’s water supply, Maloney worked to mitigate the problem. Teaming up with city, local, and state officials, they cleaned up the water supply, prevented further contamination, and prevented residents from being saddled with the costs.

As a result of cleanup efforts, Newburgh has a clean water source and Congressman Maloney helped to secure funding to aid mitigation efforts and continues to work across all levels of government to ensure said contamination never occurs again. A new filtration system at Stewart Air National Guard Base was installed in December of 2019.

Maloney also fought and secured $1,800,000 in the Appropriations minibus for the town of Lewisboro to repair the Oakridge Water District public water system, which was recently found to have PFAS levels above New York State’s maximum contaminant level for public drinking water systems.

The legislation will now be considered by the US Senate.




Popular Stories