Senator Hassan Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Better Detect PFAS Contamination

WASHINGTON – As part of her efforts to ensure that all Granite Staters and Americans have access to clean drinking water, Senator Maggie Hassan today cosponsored bipartisan legislation to better detect contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and in the environment.

The PFAS Detection Act provides the U.S. Geological Survey with $45 million to develop advanced technologies to detect PFAS and allow for nationwide sampling of these chemicals in the environment, with a particular focus on areas near drinking water or areas with known or suspected releases of PFAS.

“Members of both parties agree on the urgent need to address PFAS contamination, and this bipartisan bill will help develop new technologies to detect PFAS contamination in drinking water and keep communities healthy and safe,” Senator Hassan said.

Senator Hassan has long fought to ensure that all Granite Staters and Americans have access to clean drinking water and has cosponsored legislation to require the EPA to develop a Maximum Contaminant Level for PFOA and PFAS. Last year, Senator Hassan participated in the first-ever Senate hearing on contamination of PFAS in drinking water, and joined in introducing bipartisan legislation, the PFAS Accountability Act, that holds federal agencies accountable for addressing contamination from PFAS at military bases across the country. Additionally, Senator Hassan joined the rest of the New Hampshire Delegation in calling on the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to focus research efforts on the potential connection between PFAS exposure and pediatric cancer. Senator Hassan also supported Senator Shaheen in establishing the first-ever nationwide health study on the impacts of PFAS in drinking water, as well as securing funding for the study in the government funding bill that was signed into law in March 2018.

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