Environmental response is at the forefront as the 116th Congress gets underway in our nation’s capital. Earlier this month, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced a bill that will require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to designate per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous substances. Dingell was recently appointed to a seat on the Health Subcommittee on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
This act may be cited as the PFAS Action Act of 2019. It specifies that the administrator of the EPA shall designate per-and polyfluoroalkyl as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.
“PFAS contamination is an environmental matter of growing concern for our clients. The PFAS Action Act of 2019 would not only classify PFAS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, it would also generate a flurry of activity by the regulators and the regulated community alike as the industry grapples with how PFAS should be assessed and remediated,” said James Hogan, President of The ELAM Group.
According to the Act, the administrator of the EPA shall designate all PFAS as hazardous within one year of its enactment. The bill can be found here:
