Yesterday, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney’s (NY-18) bill, the PFAS Testing Act of 2019 passed unanimously through the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and will now move to the House floor for a vote.
The bill requires testing of all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Toxic Substances Control Act by any entity who manufactures or processes PFAS chemicals. This legislation also requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set testing requirements for all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and make all results public. Language from the bill was incorporated into the larger bipartisan water contaminant testing bill, the PFAS Action Act of 2019.
“Water contaminated by PFAS toxins and forever chemicals continues to threaten the health of families in the Hudson Valley and across the country,” said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. “I’m proud that my bill is headed to the House floor and look forward to this package of bills becoming law soon. It’s time Congress works together to take bold actions to protect Americans from these toxic chemicals.”
Toxic “forever chemicals” do not naturally break down over time and can lead to serious health effects including cancer, premature death, asthma, and infertility.