Today, the House of Representatives passed the PFAS Action Act of 2021 with a vote of 247 for to 159 against. The bill “establishes requirements and incentives to limit the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, and remediate PFAS in the environment.”
The act, if passed, requires the EPA to:
- Designate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous substances
- Decide whether all PFAS should be designated as hazardous substances
- Declare a national standard for PFAS, which should at a minimum include PFOA and PFOS and protect vulnerable subpopulations, within 2 years
- Test for PFAS
- Decide on how to test for PFAS
- Establish a $200M grant program to assist affected communities for PFAS water treatment within 180 days
- List PFOA and PFOS as air pollutants within 180 days
- Set regulations on incineration of PFAS in 6 months
- Label consumer products as PFAS-free within 1 year
- Issue guidance on how to minimize use of equipment containing PFAS
- Establish a website pertaining to the testing of household well water within 1 year
- Develop a risk communication strategy for PFAS
Many states (CA, NM, CO, NC, MN, MI, OH, DE, NJ, NY, CT, MA, VT, NH, and ME) have set a standard for PFAS in drinking water, but the majority have not. Adoption and enforcement of a national standard would improve public health greatly and reduce pollution of PFAS to the environment.
I think that this bill is a major first step in regulating PFAS in the environment. The 2021 PFAS Action Act protects the safety of people and does so on a reasonable timescale. Hopefully, the government exhibiting an interest in regulating PFAS will mean that industrial manufacturers will not only find safer ways to produce their products but also think twice before haphazardly dumping PFAS into waterways.
I will keep the blog updated as developments come! I am excited to see that more awareness is being brought to PFAS by the US government.
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