[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 78 (Friday, May 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H3687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRESSIONAL PFAS TASK FORCE
(Ms. DEAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
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.
____________________