Senators Shaheen and Hassan to EPA’s Scott Pruitt

Following Regional EPA Summit on PFAS in New Hampshire, Senators Shaheen and Hassan Call on EPA to Take Immediate Action to Protect Granite Staters from Further Contamination

Senators: “It is critical for the EPA to take immediate action to protect citizens from further contamination and ensure that responsible parties are held liable for addressing any resulting health and safety concerns.”

WASHINGTON – Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan today called on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to take immediate action to protect Granite Staters from further contamination from per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The letter comes following the inaugural PFAS community engagement event in Exeter, New Hampshire earlier this week.

The senators urged the EPA to take the concerns and recommendations that were raised by community leaders at the summit and take immediate action to prevent exposure to further contamination from these emerging contaminants.

“We are hopeful that the EPA will take the concerns and recommendations that were raised by community leaders, as well as state and local officials, to help inform future meaningful federal action on these chemicals,” the senators wrote. “It is critical for the EPA to take immediate action to protect citizens from further contamination and ensure that responsible parties are held liable for addressing any resulting health and safety concerns.”

Specifically, the senators called on the EPA to evaluate the necessary steps to designate PFAS as ‘hazardous substances,’ which would make PFAS covered under the EPA’s Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 102, and require responsible parties to be held accountable for any future release.

“As EPA staff travels to other communities impacted by PFAS contamination, we encourage the agency to continue listening, and to not lose sight of the urgent need to move forward in protecting our citizens and our natural resources from these toxic chemicals,” the senators concluded.