U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee, on Sept. 17 introduced the bipartisan PFAS Federal Facility Accountability Act of 2018 to force cooperation between the U.S. government and states on removing chemical contamination found near federal facilities.
“This should not be a partisan issue,” Rep. Upton said.
Fellow House Energy and Commerce Committee member U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) is the lead original cosponsor of H.R. 6835, which is the U.S. House version of the same-named S. 3381. The measure would require federal agencies to coordinate with states on removing contamination from the toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) found near federal facilities, including active and former military installations and U.S. National Guard locations.
“This bipartisan effort will help Michigan continue our rapid response to the PFAS contamination issue,” said Rep. Upton. “We must increase cooperation between the states and the federal government so that everyone is on the same page.”
PFAS belong to a group of chemicals that has been used for decades in manufacturing, firefighting and consumer products, according to a statement from Rep. Upton’s office released this week.
The proposed bill would facilitate testing, monitoring, removal, and remediation when such chemicals are detected in the water and soil near federal facilities, according to the statement, and U.S. government agencies would be required to devise a plan of action and within a year of a state’s request, enter into a cooperative agreement with each state to fix the problem.
The House bill followed a Sept. 13 Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee hearing where lawmakers heard testimonies about the federal government’s efforts to address these dangerous chemicals, as well as the associated environmental and public health risks and how states are handling PFAS contamination.
“We need an all-hands-on deck response to the growing PFAS contamination in Michigan,” said Rep. Dingell. “PFAS is a man-made chemical, and it will require a man-made solution from all of us working together.”
H.R. 6835 has been referred for consideration to both the Energy and Commerce Committee and the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. S. 3381 has 10 cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Burr (R-NC), and is under review in the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.