Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) today announced that the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee will hold a markup on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 10 am in the John D. Dingell Room, 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The subcommittee will markup 15 bills pertaining to asbestos, PFAS and spent nuclear fuel.
“Asbestos, ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS, and nuclear fuel waste all present unique but pressing challenges," Pallone and Tonko said. “With more than 40,000 Americans dying from asbestos-related diseases each year, and PFAS chemicals contaminating everything from water to household supplies, we are determined to pass legislative solutions that will protect Americans from these toxic substances."
H.R. 1603, the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act, was introduced by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Pallone and 24 additional cosponsors. It would ban the production, use and importation of asbestos. The legislation implements a complete ban on the toxic substance one year after the bill’s passage.
H.R. 535, the PFAS Action Act of 2019, was introduced by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Fred Upton (R-MI). The bill requires that within one year of enactment that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator shall designate all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous substances under section 102(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).
H.R. 2377, the Protect Drinking Water from PFAS Act of 2019, was introduced by Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The bill requires that no later than two years after enactment, the EPA Administrator shall publish a maximum contaminant level goal and promulgate a national primary drinking water regulation for total per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
H.R. 2533, the Providing Financial Assistance for Safe Drinking Water Act, was introduced by Pallone. The bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the EPA Administrator to establish, within 180 days of enactment, a program to award grants to PFAS-affected water systems to pay the capital costs associated with eligible treatment technologies. The legislation further directs the EPA Administrator to create a list of eligible treatment technologies, defined as those which can remove all detectable amounts of PFAS from drinking water.
H.R. 2566, introduced by Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL), would require the EPA Administrator to revise the Safer Choice Standard to provide for a Safer Choice label for pots, pans, and cooking utensils that do not contain PFAS. The bill requires that no later than one year of enactment the EPA Administrator shall revise the Safer Choice Standard to provide a Safer Choice label for pots, pans, and cooking utensils that do not contain PFAS.
H.R. 2570, the PFAS User Fee Act of 2019, was introduced by Rep. Harley Rouda (D-CA). The bill requires that polluters pay ongoing water treatment costs associated with contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
H.R. 2577, the PFAS Right-To-Know Act, was introduced by Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY). The bill amends section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 11023) to include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on the Toxics Release Inventory.
H.R. 2591, the PFAS Waste Incineration Ban Act of 2019, was introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). The bill amends section 5 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the disposal by waste incineration of fire-fighting foam containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The bill also requires the EPA Administrator no later than 12 months after enactment to promulgate regulations identifying additional wastes containing PFAS for which a prohibition on incineration may be necessary to protect human health.
H.R. 2596, the Protecting Communities from New PFAS Act, was introduced by Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH). The bill amends section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2604) such that any PFAS chemical substance for which a manufacturing and processing notice is submitted shall be deemed by the EPA Administrator to present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.
H.R. 2600, the Toxic PFAS Control Act, was introduced by Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA). The bill amends section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the manufacture of any new PFAS chemical substance and prohibit the manufacture or process of any PFAS chemical substance as a significant new use.
H.R. 2605, the Prevent Release of Toxics Emissions, Contamination, and Transfer (PROTECT) Act of 2019, was introduced by Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). The bill directs the EPA Administrator to issue a final rule adding as a class all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances with at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom to the list of hazardous air pollutants under section 112(b) of the Clean Air Act.
H.R. 2608, the PFAS Testing Act of 2019, was introduced by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY). The bill requires comprehensive health testing of all PFAS under the Toxic Substances Control Act and reporting from all manufacturers and processors of PFAS on health, safety, and environmental impacts.
H.R. 2626, the PFAS Accountability Act of 2019, was introduced by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI). The bill amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 to require cleanups at federal facilities to meet state limits for PFAS.
H.R. 2638, introduced by Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), directs the EPA Administrator to issue guidance for firefighters and other first responders to minimize the use of foam and other firefighting materials containing PFAS and to minimize their health risk from PFAS exposure.
H.R. 2699, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2019, was introduced by Reps. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and John Shimkus (R-IL). The bill amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to update the Department of Energy’s ability to manage nuclear waste. In the near term, the bill gives the Department of Energy (DOE) authority to site, construct and operate one or more interim storage sites that would consolidate spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from decommissioned reactors. The program would also prioritize the transfer of SNF from seismically active areas, and permit DOE to undertake “infrastructure activities" intended to enable construction and operation of a repository at Yucca Mountain in the State of Nevada, including safety upgrades, site preparation, construction of a rail line, and grid connection. Additionally, the bill establishes ratepayer protections by reforming the finance mechanism of the Nuclear Waste Fund and assures that DOE has adequate funding to construct and operate a repository.
Information for this markup, including the Committee Memorandum, electronic copies of the legislation and any amendments, and a link to the live webcast will be posted HERE as they become available.
