By Justin Udo
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An area congresswoman has praised new action from the Environmental Protection Agency. The federal watchdog — for the first time ever — will regulate PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” in tap water.
The new EPA rule, announced on Wednesday, sets maximum contamination levels for six different PFAS chemicals in public drinking water. In Pennsylvania and nine other states, PFAS levels in drinking water can’t exceed four parts per trillion.
However, the EPA says there is no safe level of exposure to PFAS. U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean agrees with that statement. The Montgomery County Democrat is one of several lawmakers who have spoken out against PFAS for years.
Dean celebrated the EPA announcement on Wednesday, calling it “a huge step forward for environmental justice.”
“We didn’t know about PFAS. The manufacturers did, and that is something I want to stress,” Dean said.
“They have known for some 70 years that these man-made chemicals could not be broken down and that exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancers, liver disease, developmental delays in children, and other health issues.”
Dean says she’s happy for the EPA regulations. “This federal MCL set by EPA … will ensure that communities everywhere can be better protected,” she said.
The EPA says it expects the new regulations will reduce PFAS exposure for 100 million people. In addition to the new regulations, the agency will provide $1 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help public water utility companies comply with the mandate.
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Permalink: https://dean.house.gov/2024/4/kyw
