Letter to the Hon. Andrew Wheeler, Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency - Schumer & Gillibrand Demand EPA Issue Standard for Maximum Exposure to Protect Public Health; Carcinogenic Chemical Has Contaminated Drinking
Letter
Dear Acting Administrator Wheeler:
We are deeply concerned about recent reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not intend to move forward with establishing an enforceable drinking water standard for Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) at this time. Failure to establish a clear, national drinking water standard for these highly-toxic and prevalent chemicals would be a mistake, and would make it more difficult to protect public health. Therefore, we strongly urge you to reverse course and commit to setting a maximum contaminant level (MCL) under the Safe Drinking Water Act for PFOA and PFOS as soon as possible.
As you know, Perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a class of toxic chemicals affecting communities across the nation. Several communities in our state of New York are confronting massive drinking water contamination, human exposure and clean-up challenges due to PFOA and PFOS pollution. These chemical substances are linked to certain cancers and other serious adverse health effects. They are often used to manufacture products like fabric protectors, firefighting foam, and stain repellents due to rigorous chemical properties that also make them persistent in the environment and resistant to degradation. The likelihood that the challenges that confront these communities will occur in a number of other American communities is high and the existence of an objective, national standard is vital to guide policy makers' and regulators' approaches to this challenge.
In deciding not to set a drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS, the EPA is limiting the public's knowledge about their possible exposure to these toxic substances, and hindering potential cleanup efforts. Federal inaction on setting limits for these two contaminants is not acceptable. We understand that the PFAS management plan is still under interagency review, and we therefore strongly urge you to reverse course and to expeditiously begin work on setting a drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS.
Sincerely,
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