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McCollum Statement on Proposed Rule to Limit ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water

March 14, 2023

Rule Would Establish First-Ever Federal PFAS Drinking Water Standards

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) released the following statement today after the Environmental Protection Agency announced a new rule that would set the first-ever nationwide drinking water standard for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the "forever chemicals" that are dangerous to human health:

"Today's announcement of EPA's proposed rule to strictly limit ‘forever chemicals' puts people's health front and center," Rep. McCollum said. "As Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee last Congress, I prioritized increasing federal funding for PFAS remediation and research to help address PFAS contamination, determine the scope of the problem, and chart the course of action needed to keep people safe. Now all parties have to step up to the plate—federal, state, and local governments, as well as all private companies—to determine the next steps for detection, cleanup, and destruction of these chemicals. The focus of what must be done is clear: every community needs to have water that is safe to drink, and these regulations will achieve this goal."

Background:

  • The proposed rule would regulate PFOA and PFOS, two of the most prevalent and most studied PFAS chemicals, at a level of 4 parts per trillion (ppt). This is generally considered the lowest amount that can be reliably detected.
  • The proposed rule would regulate four other PFAS as a mixture: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX (HFPO-DA). Water treatment providers would be required to monitor for these PFAS. Any detected levels would be plugged into an EPA formula that would determine a hazard index, based on available health and risk data for these chemicals. If the combination of these chemical concentrations exceeds the risk threshold set by EPA, then water treatment to reduce PFAS levels would be required.
  • The proposed rule is open for public comment for 60 days.
  • Rep. McCollum secured more than half a billion dollars in defense funding for PFAS during her time as Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in the 117th Congress. The vast majority of the funding has gone toward PFAS remediation and cleanup, while tens of millions of dollars were directed to research on PFAS detection, destruction, and remediation technologies.
  • Rep. McCollum recognizes that where PFAS is a critical component in addressing national security needs, including CHIP manufacturing, new alternatives must be found immediately. In cases where no alternatives yet exist, the use of PFAS must be strictly controlled.

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