The U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 10 voted 247-159 to approve bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Bill Huizenga (R-MI) that would expand the nation’s list of dangerous substances eligible for federal cleanup funds.
Reps. Upton and Huizenga are among more than 60 other cosponsors of the PFAS Action Act of 2019, H.R. 535, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances, among numerous other provisions.
“Right in our backyard, the city of Parchment, Michigan, became ground zero for PFAS contamination,” Rep. Upton said on Friday. “This issue is serious, and today Congress took action to better protect our communities from PFAS by passing the bipartisan PFAS Action Act.”
If enacted, the bill also would allow the EPA to clean up contaminated sites around the nation, added Rep. Upton.
“Parchment made it perfectly clear that we need an all-hands-on-deck to protect our families, drinking water and environment, and I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address this challenge across the nation,” he said.
The measure also contains provisions related to prohibiting waste incineration of PFAS; labeling for pots, pans and cooking utensils; guidance on minimizing the use of firefighting foam and other equipment that contains PFAS; destruction and disposal guidance; drinking water state revolving funds; and monitoring and detection, among several others.
Rep. Huizenga, co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, said that while he doesn’t agree with every facet of the bill, “it is critical for Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to protect west Michigan, the Great Lakes, and communities across the nation from contamination.”
“This includes supporting the advancement of research and potential large-scale decontamination efforts,” the congressman said. “Michigan has been at the forefront of PFAS testing and I remain concerned that other communities will be impacted similarly to what we have seen here in West Michigan.”
H.R. 535 now advances to the U.S. Senate for consideration.