Senator Hassan Statement on EPA Draft Toxicity Assessments for PFAS Chemicals

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan issued the following statement today after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released draft toxicity assessments for GenX and PFBS, which are both under the class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The assessments found levels at which exposure to the chemicals can create health issues:

“These assessments are a step forward in helping to get answers for Granite Staters and Americans who have been exposed to PFAS contamination in their drinking water and have rightly been asking about any potential health risks such exposure may cause. However, the EPA must do far more to assess and limit exposure to these contaminants that are emerging in drinking water throughout New Hampshire. I will continue fighting for New Hampshire communities that are exposed to these toxic chemicals and ensure that no Granite Stater is forced to question the safety or quality of their drinking water again.” 

Senator Hassan recently participated in the first-ever Senate hearing on contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water in New Hampshire and across the country. Earlier this year, Senator Hassan 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.

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