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WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) applauded the passage of her bipartisan bill to protect all Americans and our environment from harmful forever chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee markup. After today’s passage, the PFAS Action Act, introduced by Rep. Dingell and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), now awaits final consideration by the full committee.

“PFAS is an urgent public health and environmental threat – it’s affecting our drinking water, our health, and our environment. The number of contamination sites nationwide is growing at an alarming rate, including our military bases,” said Rep. Dingell. “Today’s passage of the PFAS Action Act in the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee is a positive step forward in continuing the fight against PFAS and ensuring all Americans are protected from these forever chemicals.”

PFAS chemicals are man-made forever chemicals that have so far been found in the drinking water of more than 2,000 communities. These chemicals have been linked to harmful human health effects, including cancer, reproductive and developmental harms, and weaken immune systems. The PFAS Action Act establishes a national drinking water standard for select PFAS chemicals, designates as hazardous to allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up contaminated sites in Michigan and across the country, as well as list under the Clean Water Act, designates as a hazardous air pollutant, limits industrial discharges, requires comprehensive PFAS health testing, creates a voluntary label for PFAS in cookware, and provides $200 million annually to assist water utilities and wastewater treatment.

Dingell and Upton reintroduced the PFAS Action Act in April of this year. In January 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives took bold action and passed the PFAS Action Act by a vote of 247-159, including 24 Republicans supporting the package.

You can read a copy of the PFAS Action Act here.

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