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Congressional Pfas Task Force

Floor Speech

Date: May 10, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Defense Environment

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Ms. DEAN. Madam Speaker, this week, the Congressional PFAS Task Force, including Representatives Kildee, Tonko, and Fitzpatrick, joined me in my district to address clean water and to address PFAS water contamination. I thank them for joining me. We visited Naval Air Station Joint Base Willow Grove.

Like hundreds of other military installations across the country, Willow Grove used firefighting foam with PFAS chemicals for decades. Today, polluted water continues to flow off this base and into our region's water table.

PFAS is associated with serious health risks, including cancer and impaired immune system performance. The manufacturers, EPA, and DOD have known about some of the dangers for a long time. By the early 2000s, it was clear that PFAS was contaminating drinking water, yet PFAS remains in use, and EPA still has not established a maximum contaminant level.

This week, I introduced H.R. 2600, the Toxic PFAS Control Act. This bill phases out PFAS by banning the manufacturing and processing of these chemicals and will require EPA to regulate its disposal.

I thank Chairman Tonko for his commitment to this issue to live up to our obligation to provide clean drinking water to our families and communities.

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