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WASHINGTON, DC—Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) issued the following joint statement today after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new roadmap for tackling PFAS contamination and exposure:

“PFAS contamination has plagued our communities and exposed our families to toxic chemicals for far too long, but with today’s announcement, the Biden Administration is taking action to turn the tide. This roadmap promises real, meaningful, science-based action to crack down on dangerous ‘forever chemicals,’ and the communities we represent will be both healthier and safer for it. We applaud the Biden EPA for its unwavering commitment to putting the health of the American people first and look forward to our continued partnership in this fight to eliminate toxic PFAS exposure.”

The Biden Roadmap sets an aggressive timeline to designate PFOS and PFOA as hazardous substances under section 102(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), with an on-ramp for the agency to designate further per and polyfluoralkyl substances as hazardous. It also speeds up the process of establishing a primary drinking water standard, introduces the concept of establishing a treatment technique to ensure all Americans are fully protected, and institutes a national PFAS testing strategy. It also requires enhanced PFAS reporting under the toxic release inventory to provide the science and data necessary for future actions. Several of these actions, including the listing of PFAS chemicals under CERCLA, are included in H.R. 2467, the PFAS Action Act of 2021, which passed the Committee in June and the House in July.

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