U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Pressing for Answers on Reports of Efforts to Weaken Contamination Standards for PFAS
Letter Comes in Response to Media Reports that DOD is Pushing for Weaker Cleanup Guidelines for PFAS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined her colleagues in pressing Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler, requesting the agencies to release communications they’ve had with the White House, and with each other, regarding the establishment of federal drinking water standards for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and groundwater pollution guidelines related to these chemicals.
The letter, led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), comes in response torecent media reports that the Department Of Defense (DOD) is requesting the White House to adopt substantially weaker guidelines for groundwater pollution caused by PFAS than those suggested by the EPA.
Senator Baldwin has been taking action to establish enforceable drinking water standards and ensure Wisconsin has clean drinking water.
The Senators wrote,“If this reporting is accurate, the DOD’s actions may endanger the health of servicemembers and families who live and work near the 401 military installations where there are known or suspected releases of PFAS chemicals in the drinking water or groundwater. We urge you to act in the best interests of impacted communities and support efforts to develop groundwater and drinking water standards that will protect the public from the health hazards associated with PFAS contamination.”
The Senators go on to highlight the EPA’s recently released PFAS management plan, which commits the agency to developing interim groundwater cleanup recommendations that will assist state and federal agencies in protecting drinking water supplies contaminated by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), two PFAS chemicals contained in formulations of AFFF. This commitment is contradicted by media reports that suggest the DOD opposes groundwater cleanup guidelines recommended by the EPA, and instead suggest that remedial action for PFOA and PFOS not occur unless the concentration levels of these chemicals exceed 400 parts per trillion or higher – nearly six times higher than the EPA’s lifetime health advisory for these chemicals.
The Senators underscore the significant risk to impacted communities posed by these extreme contamination levels and the limited number of sites eligible for cleanup and remediation. They close their letter by requesting that the DOD and EPA provide communication between the agencies and White House on efforts to set enforceable drinking water standards and groundwater cleanup recommendations for PFAS chemicals, and that they provide a joint briefing to their offices on interagency efforts on this issue.
Their letter is available here. It was also signed by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Bob Casey (D-PA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Gary Peters (D-MI).
An online version of this release is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the PFAS Problem
- Legislature Will Try Again On Regulating Forever Chemical Contamination - Danielle Kaeding - Jan 3rd, 2025
- EPA Adds Nine Additional PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Jan 3rd, 2025
- Coalition of 30 Groups Calls for $953 Million Funding For Safe Drinking Water - Danielle Kaeding - Dec 24th, 2024
- Insurers Add PFAS Exclusions to Liability Policies - Danielle Kaeding - Dec 21st, 2024
- EPA Releases Draft Health-Based Recommendations for PFAS Levels in Bodies of Water - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Dec 19th, 2024
- EPA Launches New Studies and Data Collection Efforts to Better Protect Communities from PFAS - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Dec 16th, 2024
- More than 30 groups call on State Legislature to take action on safe drinking water for Safe Drinking Water Act 50th anniversary - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Dec 5th, 2024
- EPA Launches New Initiative to Tackle PFAS, Identify Emerging Contaminants in Water - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Nov 20th, 2024
- Environmental & Public Health Groups Urge Wisconsin Supreme Court to Reject Attempt by WMC to Undermine State’s Spills Law - Midwest Environmental Advocates - Nov 18th, 2024
- Baldwin Announces $86 Million for Clean and Safe Drinking Water in Wisconsin Through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Oct 23rd, 2024
Read more about PFAS Problem here
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Senator Baldwin Helps Secure Over $38 Million Investment in Wisconsin Commuter Rail Service
Jan 9th, 2025 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinFunding will support Amtrak Borealis service from Chicago to Minneapolis via Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, La Crosse and more through 2029
Baldwin Delivers $25 Million to Improve Road Safety Along National Avenue in Milwaukee
Jan 9th, 2025 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinFunding through Baldwin-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will improve bike and pedestrian safety, reduce car speeds, and boost public transit
Baldwin-Led Legislation to Place Women’s Suffrage National Monument on National Mall Signed into Law
Jan 6th, 2025 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinLegislation authorizes the first ever monument dedicated to women’s history to be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
