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This bill — the PFAS Action Act of 2019 — would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances within one year of this legislation’s enactment. It would require comprehensive testing of hazards posed by PFAS exposure in land, air, and water (including drinking water), as well as in products within six months of enactment. A final rule would be issued within two years of enactment. PFAS have been used in industrial and consumer products since the 1950s in uses such as non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics & carpets, cosmetics, firefighting foams, and products that resist grease, water, and oil.

A monitoring program for PFAS contaminants would be established by the EPA for all public water systems serving more than 10,000 persons. Funding would be made available through appropriations for public water systems serving between 3,300 and 10,000 persons to monitor PFAS, which would be required. Additionally, subject to the availability of funds, a representative sample of public water systems serving fewer than 3,300 persons would be required to monitor for PFAS. A revolving grant fund would be available to small and disadvantaged communities, including public water systems with fewer than 25,000 people, while there would be cooperative agreements established for states & water systems dealing with PFAS contamination.

The EPA would be prohibited from imposing financial penalties for the violation of the drinking water regulation in the first five years after the regulation is finalized. Within one year of this bill’s enactment, the EPA would publish an interim guidance on the destruction & disposal of PFAS, while the waste incineration of PFAS would be prohibited.

Additionally, the EPA would establish a labeling standard to identify pots, pans, or cooking utensils that don’t contain PFAS under the Safer Choice Program.

","official_title":"To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to designate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.","short_title":"PFAS Action Act of 2019","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"PFAS Action Act of 2019 This bill revises several environmental laws and requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFASs. These substances are man-made and may have adverse human health effects. A variety of products contain the compounds, such as nonstick cookware or weatherproof clothing. (Sec. 2) The bill designates certain PFASs as hazardous substances, thereby requiring remediation of releases of ...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Consumers & the public’s health; companies that use PFAS in their products; community water systems & states; and the EPA.","argument_for":"This bill would address the threat posed by PFAS contamination in the air, soil, and water by establishing standards for their safe disposal. It would also require community water systems to monitor for the presence of PFAS, and establish grants for states & water systems to address the presence of PFAS.","argument_against":"While the federal government needs to help states that are disproportionately affected by PFAS contamination, more scientific research needs to be done to understand how the more than 5,000 chemicals classified as PFAS work before this bill’s aggressive mandates are imposed. 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Should the EPA Designate PFAS as Hazardous Substances & Monitor Their Presence in Water Systems?