Courtney Bourgoin, courtney.bourgoin@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC-- Moments ago, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously passed a package to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals in drinking water and the environment. The package is limited-- it fails to halt ongoing sources of PFAS pollution in water and consumer products, does not initiate urgent cleanup of polluted sites, nor do the bills classify any PFAS chemicals as hazardous substances and hazardous wastes. Widespread toxic chemical pollution is jeopardizing people’s health in communities across the country. Strong evidence links exposure to industrial toxins with cancer and other serious health problems.
In response, representatives of the Sierra Club released the following statements:
“The Senate’s legislation to clean up PFAS pollution is simply not strong enough. For the hundreds of communities living with the toxic legacy of unchecked PFAS pollution -- which is especially harmful during pregnancy and childhood -- we need Senate Republicans to step up and take this crisis more seriously,” said Sonya Lunder, Senior Toxics Advisor with the Sierra Club’s Gender, Equity and Environment Program. “Congress needs to end the ongoing release of PFAS chemicals into the environment, require EPA and the military to clean up polluted sites, and ensure that PFAS stockpiles are safely destroyed.”
“Colorado communities have felt the harm of PFAS chemicals -- on both our health and environment -- for decades. While it’s encouraging to see Congress take solid steps to tackle our PFAS crisis, we need to remember that the EPA has had the power to monitor and cleanup PFAS for years,” said Fran Silva-Blayney, Vice Chair of the Sierra Club’s Colorado Chapter. “The science is settled, and our government should be acting with more urgency to address the sources of PFAS contamination, how far contamination has spread, and how we're going to clean it up."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.