Pfas Action Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding and for his leadership on this bill.

We know the health effects of PFAS exposure can be severe: cancer, thyroid problems, birth defects, and immune system disruptions, amongst others. Sadly, there are many communities and individuals across our great country who are suffering these health consequences.

Despite knowing the dangers of these forever chemicals, the Federal Government has been slow to act. I say enough is enough.

The PFAS Action Act would require significant steps to ensure that our Federal Government is responding comprehensively and reducing the risk of exposure through our air, water, and consumer products.

It includes actions under numerous environmental statutes, including designating the two most well-studied PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, as hazardous substances and setting a deadline for a national drinking water standard to, at a minimum, ensure vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, infants, and children, are protected.

The bill includes other critical provisions to reduce exposure, empower consumers, and expedite cleanups.

Despite what some may want to suggest, designating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA is not a ban. There are literally hundreds of hazardous substances that continue to be used in manufacturing processes and commerce broadly.

What it will do is ensure that polluters are held accountable to clean up their messes when toxic releases occur and ensure that remediation is done to an acceptable level.

We have waited far too long already for action. Despite promising initial steps from the Biden administration, I fear the EPA will not adequately address PFAS without clear direction from Congress. As the administration recognized, this bill supports the commitment across the branches of government to take on this challenge.

This is the bill our constituents and those living with PFAS in their communities need.

I thank Representatives Dingell and Upton for their commitment to addressing these dangerous forever chemicals, and I encourage Members to support this bill.

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Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 535, I rise to offer amendments en bloc.

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Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this en bloc of 10 amendments. As was done in the 116th Congress, the PFAS Action Act was subject to a subcommittee markup, a full committee markup, and debate and amendment on the House floor.

During these processes in the 116th and 117th Congresses, there has been an effort to continue to strengthen the proposal at each and every stage. The ten amendments included in this en bloc, which includes several bipartisan amendments, would build upon this past work and make further improvements to the underlying bill.

Several of the amendments help protect Americans from PFAS in their drinking water, especially those relying upon private wells, which would not be subject to the national drinking water standard required to be developed by this bill.

We know communicating the risks of PFAS is challenging: What are safe levels? What is a reliable testing technique? And what do you do if your water is contaminated?

These amendments would help ensure people have better, clearer, and more accessible information on this and other issues. This en bloc also includes amendments that would increase grant funding to community water systems and ensure all communities dealing with PFAS contamination can access these funds, including insular territories. And it would establish a new grant program to support PFAS testing and filtration at schools.

We know the cost of PFAS remediation can be significant. Ensuring these costs do not fall squarely upon the households that rely upon these water systems, who are not responsible for the contaminations, should be a high priority of this effort. More Federal funding can help in this regard.

Finally, the en bloc would expand the PFAS-free labeling program to cover food package material, luggage, and cleaning products. This will allow Americans to make certain that they have more informed choices on the products they choose to purchase. Overall, these are good improvements to the bill, and I do not believe they should be controversial.

Madam Speaker, I encourage Members to support the en bloc, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), who has been outspoken on this issue.

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Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), who, along with Mrs. Dingell, has really brought great focus to this issue in committee.

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Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), who has great concern for this issue.

Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, PFAS chemicals are life- threatening. They are forever chemicals and need to be cleaned up. We will act today to regulate these chemicals and protect public health.

Highland Dairy is a family-owned operation that has served the eastern part of my district for four generations. In 2018, Highland learned that PFAS from the nearby Air Force base leaked into the shared aquifer that watered the grass which fed the cows. The PFAS contamination poisoned the cows and the dairy could not sell the milk or the cows. Highland is on the brink of disaster merely by being a neighbor to the Air Force base. We cannot allow PFAS to work itself into our food system.

Madam Speaker, my amendment requires the EPA to consider the risk PFAS poses to water used for agricultural purposes, like that at Highland.

Madam Speaker, the EPA's work must be inclusive of farmers, rural America, and the food we eat. I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment and pass this bill.

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Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I stand, again, in strong support of the en bloc amendment and, certainly, the measure to which we are amending.

Basically, we have here an opportunity to address ills that we see across America, contaminants, forever dangerous elements that cause all sorts of diseases and destruction, and it is important for us to move forward, I think, to take responsibility and make certain that these forever chemicals that don't break down, that cause cancer and other diseases, are addressed.

We move forward with the opportunity here, assigning the great responsibilities to EPA so that we have a strong outcome. I think the amendment makes the bill even stronger. I have seen situations in my given region of Upstate New York where communities have been impacted.

Madam Speaker, I encourage everyone to support the amendment and the bill at hand, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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