SPOKANE, Wash. — Eleven U.S. senators introduced legislation Thursday that would hold federal agencies accountable for addressing contamination for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at military bases across the country.
Tests done in May 2017 showed that Airway Heights' domestic water supply had been impacted by chemicals known as polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFOS and PFOA.
The legislation comes days after the release of a report showing that 19 million people in 42 states have been exposed to PFAS-contaminated water, including five sites in Washington.
Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and eight others introduced the bill.
According to a press release from Cantwell’s office, the PFAS Accountability Act sets deadlines and reporting requirements for cleaning up PFAS contamination at federal facilities across the country, including active and decommissioned military bases, and mandates greater transparency. It also calls on federal facilities to expedite agreements with states to address PFAS contamination. The agreements commit the federal government to take specific actions and allows states and communities to be reimbursed for costs to address the contamination.
The legislation says if a cooperative agreement is not reached within a year after a state requests one, the bill requires a federal agency, such as the Department of Defense, to send a report to Congress explaining the reason for the delay and a projected timeline for completion.
The bill also allows the federal government to issue grants to states, communities, and Tribes to take actions to address drinking, ground, and surface waters contamination.