Senator Hassan Statement on Regional EPA Public Meeting on PFAS in New Hampshire

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan issued the following statement today as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosts its first per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) community engagement event in Exeter, New Hampshire:

“Clean water is critical for our citizens to lead healthy lives, and it is at the heart of economic development, healthy families, and vibrant communities. Unfortunately, too many New Hampshire communities have been exposed to contamination in drinking water sources from PFAS chemicals, and we must continue focusing on efforts to both support these communities and also prevent others from being affected. I am incredibly grateful for the Granite Staters who have advocated for the health and safety of their families and neighbors. It is critical that you continue making your voices heard, and I urge the EPA to listen to the priorities of those impacted and take meaningful action to keep communities in New Hampshire and across our nation safe from the dangers of PFAS.”

Senator Hassan has long fought to ensure that all Granite Staters and Americans have access to clean drinking water. Recently, Senator Hassan called on the Trump Administration to stop blocking the release of an important study about the health impacts of PFAS and led the rest of the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation in calling on EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to immediately release the study. Senator Hassan has also co-sponsored legislation that would require the EPA to set federal safety guidelines for PFAS and to establish maximum contaminant levels for certain chemicals to help clarify the safety and quality of drinking water from public water systems throughout the country. The Senator also cosponsored the Safe Drinking Water Assistance Act, which creates an interagency task force to improve federal coordination on emerging contaminants and directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a federal research strategy to improve identification, analysis, and treatment methods for contaminants. Senator Hassan also helped secure funding for the first nationwide PFAS water contamination study in the bipartisan omnibus funding bill that passed earlier this year, and joined the Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to ATSDR urging them to include Pease in the nationwide health study and exposure assessment.  

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