Pallone Applauds House Passage of PFAS Action Act

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today applauded House passage of the PFAS Action Act. Pallone spearheaded passage of the bill that regulates PFAS chemicals, cleans up contamination, and protects public health. According to a report, there are 521 water systems in New Jersey that are contaminated with PFAS.

"New Jersey has some of the highest levels of PFAS contamination in the country. While the state is doing everything it can to address this public health threat by adopting protective state drinking water standards and pursuing natural resource damage cases, we need to do more to protect access to safe drinking water," Pallone said. "That is why we took decisive federal action today to protect the communities we represent from the rising tide of PFAS contamination. These toxic ‘forever chemicals' present an urgent threat to Americans' health. The failure of the Trump Administration to act on PFAS contamination has only made this problem worse. I strongly urge the Senate to consider this legislation immediately so we can deliver concrete solutions to this pressing public health crisis."

The bill would require EPA to use tools under several different environmental statutes to:

• Limit human exposure to PFAS by requiring a drinking water standard for PFAS that protects public health, including the health of vulnerable subpopulations like pregnant women, infants and children, and holding polluters accountable.
• Establish a grant program to support community water systems that implement treatment technologies for PFAS, authorizing $2.5 billion over five years.
• Create a voluntary label for cookware that is PFAS free and provide guidance for first responders to limit their exposures.
• Stem the flow of PFAS contamination into the environment by requiring cleanup of sites contaminated with PFOA and PFOS, setting air emission limits, prohibiting unsafe incineration of PFAS, and limiting the introduction of new PFAS chemicals into commerce.
• Identify health risks by requiring comprehensive health testing for all PFAS, reporting of PFAS releases, and monitoring for PFAS in drinking water.

Pallone spoke on the House Floor in favor of the legislation. Video of his remarks is available here.