Collins, Peters Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Protect Communities from PFAS
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve coordination between federal and local governments to protect Americans from exposure to toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are man-made chemicals that are used in industry and consumer products, and can lead to serious health effects. The senators’ bill would create a working group within the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to improve intergovernmental coordination to address contamination of these harmful substances.
“The State of Maine has been at the forefront of efforts to identify and address contamination from PFAS, which are known to be harmful to human health. Unfortunately, these forever chemicals are increasingly being found in soil, water, animal feed, crops, and livestock, causing substantial harm to the livelihoods of Maine’s family farmers and threatening our water and food supplies,” said Senator Collins. “By establishing a PFAS contamination working group, our legislation would spur cooperation across government at all levels, leverage PFAS research by academic institutions such as UMaine, and pressure USDA to engage on this issue to support farmers.”
“The federal government must do a better job of coordinating with states, Tribes, and local communities when they are working to clean up harmful PFAS chemicals that continue to affect the health and safety of servicemembers, first responders, and entire communities in Michigan and across the nation, “ said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan bill will help improve communication and coordination efforts across every level of government to ensure there is a more comprehensive approach to cleaning up existing sites and preventing future contamination.”
The PFAS Intergovernmental Coordination Act would establish an intergovernmental working group at OMB made up of representatives from federal agencies; state, local, and Tribal governments; and academic research institutions to improve responses to current PFAS contamination. The group would meet quarterly for two years and would be tasked with providing a report to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that outlines their recommendations and methodologies to improve responses to current PFAS contamination efforts and mitigate future contamination efforts.
