[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9286 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9286

 To direct the Secretary of Defense to expedite the implementation of 
early actions to mitigate the migration of groundwater contaminated by 
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from a source located on a military 
installation to protect or minimize the effects on groundwater, surface 
  water, underground sources of drinking water, and sediment, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 2024

 Ms. Slotkin (for herself and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Defense to expedite the implementation of 
early actions to mitigate the migration of groundwater contaminated by 
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from a source located on a military 
installation to protect or minimize the effects on groundwater, surface 
  water, underground sources of drinking water, and sediment, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Accelerating DoD PFAS Cleanups Act 
of 2024''.

SEC. 2. EXPEDITED ACTION TO ADDRESS THE MIGRATION OF PER- AND 
              POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES FROM DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
              INSTALLATIONS AND NATIONAL GUARD FACILITIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall expedite the 
implementation of early actions to mitigate the migration of 
groundwater contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances 
(hereinafter in this section referred to as ``PFAS'') from a source 
located on a military installation to protect or minimize the effects 
on groundwater, surface water, underground sources of drinking water, 
and sediment.
    (b) Evaluation and Assessment.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete an 
evaluation and assessment of all covered facilities where a release, or 
a threat of a release, of PFAS subject to a response action under the 
Defense Environmental Restoration Program under section 2701 of title 
10, United States Code, to--
            (1) identify potential early actions that may be 
        implemented at such facilities to prevent or remediate the 
        release or threatened release of PFAS;
            (2) identify such facilities at which an underground source 
        of drinking water is, or may be, contaminated by a release or a 
        threat of a release of PFAS; and
            (3) prioritize facilities for the implementation of early 
        actions or other actions to prevent or reduce risks to human 
        health and the environment.
    (c) Public Participation.--The Secretary shall make the results of 
an evaluation and assessment for a covered facility conducted under 
subsection (b) available to communities and individuals affected by a 
release, or the threat of a release, of PFAS at the covered facility.
    (d) Report.--For each covered facility for which an evaluation and 
assessment is required under subsection (b), not later than 270 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make 
publicly available on an appropriate website of the Department--
            (1) a description of early actions identified by the 
        evaluation and assessment;
            (2) a description of interim remedies or other early 
        actions that have been implemented;
            (3) a list of facilities at which the migration of 
        contaminated ground water is not under control or for which 
        data are insufficient to determine whether contaminated ground 
        water migration is controlled; and
            (4) a schedule for the implementation of interim remedies 
        or other early actions.
    (e) Provision of Alternative Water to Protect Public Health.--
            (1) Notice; provision of water.--Not later than 60 days 
        after the discovery of the release, or the threat of release, 
        of PFAS from a covered facility into an underground source of 
        drinking water, the Secretary shall--
                    (A) provide notice pursuant to section 2705 of 
                title 10, United States Code, to the regional offices 
                of the Environmental Protection Agency and appropriate 
                State, Tribal and local authorities;
                    (B) identify private and public water wells with a 
                concentration of a PFAS chemical that exceeds the 
                maximum contaminant level established pursuant to the 
                Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.); and
                    (C) provide alternative water to households and 
                communities served by wells identified pursuant to 
                paragraph (2)(B)(ii) as expeditiously as possible, but 
                in no case more than 30 days after the notice is 
                required under paragraph (1).
            (2) Requirements of notice.--A notice provided under this 
        subsection shall--
                    (A) be made available to the public and provided to 
                communities and households served by private and public 
                wells identified under paragraph (1)(B); and
                    (B) include--
                            (i) an identification of any private or 
                        public water well that is affected by a 
                        release, or the threat of a release, of PFAS 
                        from the covered facility;
                            (ii) an identification of any private or 
                        public water well with a concentration of a 
                        PFAS chemical that exceeds the maximum 
                        contaminant level established pursuant to the 
                        Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et 
                        seq.); and
                            (iii) a plan and schedule for the provision 
                        of safe alternative water for households and 
                        communities served by water wells identified 
                        under clause (ii).
    (f) Emergency Authority.--The Secretary shall expedite the 
provision of alternative water to avoid, mitigate, or eliminate an 
imminent and substantial endangerment to the health of persons 
presented by a release or threatened release of a pollutant or 
contaminant from an on-base source, including the use of emergency 
authorities for approval of contracting services and the commitment of 
funds.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered facility'' means--
                    (A) a military installation, as such term is 
                defined in section 2801(c)(4) of title 10, United 
                States Code;
                    (B) a formerly used defense site; or
                    (C) a National Guard facility, under the meaning of 
                such term in section 2700(4) of title 10, United States 
                Code.
            (2) The term ``formerly used defense site'' means any site 
        formerly used by the Department of Defense or National Guard 
        eligible for environmental restoration by the Secretary of 
        Defense funded under the ``Environmental Restoration Account, 
        Formerly Used Defense Sites'' account established under section 
        2703(a)(5) of title 10, United States Code.
            (3) The term ``underground source of drinking water'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 144.3 of title 40, Code 
        of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
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