U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) recently introduced bipartisan legislation to officially add per-and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) to a federal government inventory list of toxic materials.
“In communities across the country, PFAS chemicals have poisoned the drinking water of countless Americans and we must act swiftly to stop the spread of these dangerous chemicals and hold those responsible for this crisis accountable,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick on May 10.
Rep. Fitzpatrick cosponsored H.R. 2577 with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY) to amend the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 to include PFAS on the Toxics Release Inventory at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
If enacted, H.R. 2577 would require certain manufacturers, processors and producers to report their usage of PFAS chemicals to the EPA, thereby making the information public in accordance with the Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act, according to the congressman’s staff.
“Our constituents have a right to clean drinking water,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “The more we learn about these chemicals, the clearer the danger becomes which is why the American people deserve to know where these toxins are used.”
The Toxics Release Inventory Program was established at the EPA under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act to track the use and management of toxic chemicals, according to the program’s website.
The law requires facilities across a variety of industry sectors to report annually on how much of each chemical included in the inventory is being released to the environment, according to information provided by Rep. Fitzpatrick’s office, which said such reporting informs decision-making by companies, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the public.
H.R. 2577 would create a 34th chemical class that industrial facilities, having more than 10 employees and that exceed a certain threshold of PFAS yearly, would need to report to the EPA.