Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) voted in favor of the PFAS Action Act of 2019. The legislation, of which Kuster is a cosponsor, would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish a maximum contaminant level goal for PFAS and establish national drinking water safeguards for PFAS chemicals. The legislation includes Kuster’s Protecting Communities from New PFAS Act, which she introduced in May. Kuster’s bill would prevent new PFAS chemicals from being approved through the EPA’s pre-manufacture notice system.

“We know that PFAS chemicals pose a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of communities in New Hampshire and across the country, and we must take action now to protect Americans from these dangerous forever chemicals,” said Kuster. “The PFAS Action Act will help to ensure that  Americans have access to clean and safe water free of PFAS chemicals. I was glad to see that this legislation included language from my bill to turn off the tap for new PFAS chemicals making their way through the EPA approval process. I encourage the Senate to bring this commonsense measure swiftly to a vote.”

The legislation includes an amendment introduced by Reps. Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Kuster to require the EPA to review and develop critical pretreatment standards that will support water utilities in Granite State communities and help with costs associated with new safeguards in the bill. 

Kuster has been vocal about the need to address PFAS and other water contaminants in New Hampshire. Kuster questioned Susan Bodine, the Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) about the EPA’s PFAS action plan and expressed her concern about the EPA’s response to this crisis. The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) increased funding for the study of PFAS as requested by Kuster. She has also called on the Trump Administration to immediately release a toxicology report about widespread water contamination from perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).

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