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VIDEO: EPW Hearing Examines Several Capito Bills Addressing PFAS Challenges
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a leader on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), today participated in a committee hearing examining legislation to address the risks and challenges associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—including three of her bills.
“Unfortunately, these issues are all too familiar to West Virginia … With my constituents in mind, I have engaged in several pieces of legislation meant to address this [problem] working in a collaborative and bipartisan fashion,” Senator Capito explained during the hearing. “I think it’s in all of our best interests to talk as simply as we can about the goals that we have in terms of cleaning up our drinking water, remediating the problems, facing the problems, and being honest about it and transparent—helping small water systems when and how they need it to meet these difficult challenges because we know that’s going to be an issue.”
The bills examined at today’s hearing include:
- PFAS Release Disclosure Act (S. 1507) would provide a clear process for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify and share with the public and policymakers sources of PFAS emissions around the country, while respecting the formal rulemaking processes and scientific approach.
- Protect Drinking Water from PFAS Act of 2019 (S. 1473) would require the EPA to establish an enforceable standard under the Safe Drinking Water Act for PFAS in drinking water.
- PFAS Accountability Act of 2019 (S. 1372) would mandate the EPA within one year of enactment declare PFAS as hazardous substances eligible for cleanup funds under the EPA Superfund law and enable a requirement that polluters undertake or pay for remediation.
The hearing featured testimony from Kimberly Wise White, Ph.D., senior director of Chemical Products and Technology at the American Chemistry Council; Lisa Daniels, past-president of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators and director of the Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; Scott Faber, senior vice president of Government Affairs at Environmental Working Group; and G. Tracy Mehan, III, executive director of Government Affairs at American Water Works Association.
For a video of Senator Capito’s questioning, click here.
For more information on the hearing, including witness testimony and an archived webcast, click here.
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