Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) issued the following statement in response to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) releasing an important toxicology report about widespread water contamination from perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). The Trump Administration hid the existence of the report from the public and members of Congress for months, and blocked its public release in order to avoid what a White House official called a “public relations nightmare.”

“While I’m pleased this report has finally been released to the public, the Trump Administration should have taken this action months ago,” said Kuster. “It is completely unacceptable that critical information on the safety of something as vital to life as water was withheld from the American people, who count on public officials to serve their best interests. I urge the Administration to be more transparent moving forward and I will continue to work with my colleagues to increase research on the health impacts of PFAS chemicals. Granite Staters and people across the country have the right to know what’s in their drinking water.”

Last month, Kuster joined with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) in calling on the Trump Administration to immediately release the report. The letter came after Politico disclosed that the White House had been preventing the release of the report in order to avoid negative publicity.

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