Senator Hassan Statement on Reports that EPA Will Not Set Drinking Water Limits for PFOA & PFOS

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan issued the following statement today following reports that President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will not set drinking water limits for the toxic chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), which have been found in drinking water and are linked to negative health impacts:

“Communities in New Hampshire and across the country that have been exposed to PFOA and PFOS contaminants in their drinking water are looking to the Environmental Protection Agency for guidance, and if these reports are true, it is completely unacceptable,” Senator Hassan said. “The EPA cannot take a backseat on an environmental issue that could have very real and lasting impacts on the health and well-being of so many Granite Staters and Americans. I commend the advocacy of those in New Hampshire who have spoken up and demanded answers about what exposure to these contaminants could mean for them and their families, and it is long past time for the Trump Administration to listen. I’ll keep supporting their advocacy and pushing the Trump Administration to treat this issue with the urgency it requires.”

Senator Hassan has long fought to ensure that all Granite Staters and Americans have access to clean drinking water, and recently called out the Trump Administration for continuing to drag its feet when it comes to addressing water contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (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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