Legislation cosponsored by Democratic Frontliners will protect millions of Americans from harmful chemicals in their water
Today’s House passage of Rep. Debbie Dingell’s PFAS Action Act marks a milestone in Democrats’ efforts to improve national drinking water standards and protect Americans, military bases, and the environment from harmful forever chemicals known as PFAS.
Democratic Frontline Reps. Andy Kim, Ron Kind, Chris Pappas, and Haley Stevens served as original cosponsors for the legislation, which was also cosponsored by Frontline Reps. Elissa Slotkin, Tom Malinowski, Susan Wild, and Kim Schrier. The bill also includes two provisions from Frontline Rep. Antonio Delgado that promote clean drinking water.
The legislation, which 183 Republicans in Congress voted against, will:
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Ensure the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes a national drinking water standard for certain forever chemicals within two years that better protects public health, including the health of vulnerable subpopulations.
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Ensure the EPA places discharge limits on industrial releases of PFAS and provides $200 million annually for wastewater treatment.
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Ensure comprehensive PFAS health testing.
“Democrats have long been on the forefront of the fight to expand access to clean drinking water and today’s bill passage is a landmark moment in securing better standards that will drastically improve our nation’s public health,” said DCCC Spokesperson Chris Taylor. “House Democrats are fighting to bring millions of Americans and hundreds of military bases across the country that have been subjected to contaminated drinking water one step closer to being protected from these harmful chemicals.”
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