A U.S. Senator from Michigan, has introduced bipartisan legislation that could help with the investigation and clean-up of the chemical compounds currently in the Cape Fear River. It’s called the PFAS Detection Act.
Late last week, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat from Lansing, introduced two bills focused on water contamination: the PFAS Accountability Act, and PFAS Detection Act.
The Accountability Act would require the Department of Defense to cooperate with states as contamination is detected in communities near federal installations.
Meanwhile the first bill would authorize $45 million over five years for the U.S. Geological Survey to develop advanced testing methods for finding these chemicals in the environment. The bill includes funds for USGS sampling of estuaries, lakes, streams, springs, wells, wetlands and soil for PFAS chemicals.
Scott Faber is the Environmental Working Group’s senior vice president of government affairs. That’s a Washington, D.C.–based non-profit, non-partisan organization focused on health and the environment.
“The Geological Survey has a long history of monitoring water quality. They have monitoring stations all across the United States. They are already testing water for hundreds of different kinds of drinking water contaminants.”
U.S. Senator Mike Round, a Republican from South Dakota, is a co-signer of the bill. In an email to WHQR, he says it’s important to learn more about these compounds to protect the public.
He adds, “Scientists at USGS and the EPA should work together to determine the extent of the problem nationwide so Congress can be better prepared to identify possible policy solutions to this issue.”
A Senate subcommittee plans to hold a hearing on PFAS contamination on September 26.