The Water Coalition Against PFAS, a coalition of drinking water and wastewater sector organizations, is calling on Congress to pass legislation protecting passive receivers of PFAS from litigation after U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin called for new statutory authority in September.
The Water Coalition Against PFAS said it strongly supports efforts to ensure that polluters, not consumers, pay for PFAS cleanups. With September’s announcement that EPA will defend the 2024 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) PFAS rule, water systems that are passive receivers of PFAS could face significant legal and environmental remediation costs that ultimately will be borne by consumers. While the agency vowed to protect passive receivers such as water systems, the Water Coalition Against PFAS said legislation is critical.
EPA to retain CERCLA designation for PFAS, support ‘passive receivers’
The group released a recent statement, saying:
“Administrator Zeldin made it clear that Congress should take action to provide statutory protection for passive receivers of PFAS. Water systems’ limited resources are best spent on infrastructure improvements and keeping costs low for consumers, not expensive litigation over chemicals that they neither manufactured nor profited from. We echo EPA’s call for ‘a clear liability framework that ensures the polluter pays and passive receivers are protected’. There is already significant bipartisan support to address this issue in Congress, and now with Administration support, there should be a viable path forward. The Coalition calls on Congress to act now and provide a statutory shield for water and wastewater systems under the CERCLA to help ensure that polluters, not the public, pay for PFAS cleanup.”
The Water Coalition Against PFAS includes organizations whose membership represent all facets of clean and safe water delivery – the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), and the Water Environment Federation (WEF).
The Coalition advocates for responsible PFAS policies that will result in a “polluter pays” approach to addressing PFAS contamination.
Sources: EPA, Water Coalition Against PFAS, AWWA
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