#Clean Water
Join our campaign in support of the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act of 2024 (S.4173) aims to regulate and limit the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water systems across the U.S. by establishing national water quality standards under the Clean Water Act. This bill primarily addresses the regulation and monitoring of effluent, wastewater or sewage that is discharged from industrial plants.
Policy Brief
Introduction
PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are harmful human made chemicals used in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. PFAS molecules have a chain of linked carbon and fluorine atoms. Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest, these chemicals do not degrade easily. Hence they are also called "Forever Chemicals". They accumulate in the environment and in the human body. They leach into our soil, air, and water. People most likely get exposed to these chemicals by consuming PFAS contaminated food or water, using products made with PFAS, or breathing air containing PFAS.
The following issues are addressed by this bill:
Water quality standards
The EPA Administrator must publish the details of human health water criteria within 3 years of the enactment of this bill.
The EPA Administrator must establish limitations on the effluent discharge of the following industries:
Organic chemicals, plastics, and synthetic fibers, electroplating (the process of using electrodeposition to coat an object in a layer of metal), and metal finishing (the process of placing some type of metal coating on the surface of a metallic part), by 2025.
Textile mills and landfills, by 2026.
Leather tanning and finishing, paint formulating, and plastics molding and forming, by 2027.
Monitoring
The EPA Administrator must begin monitoring discharges of PFAS in effluent discharge of the following industries:
Pulp, paper, and paperboard, airports, and electrical and electronic components.
Determination
The EPA Administrator must, by December 31, 2025, choose to either develop limitations and standards for PFAS discharge in the above categories, or to not develop said limitations, and give reason for this choice.
To perform these actions, the EPA Administrator is authorized $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. The goals of this bill are to strengthen water pollution controls, establish PFAS standards, and ensure accountability from industries responsible for PFAS pollution. These goals would cause many benefits, such as improvement of water quality, public health protection, and alignment with global standards. The Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act of 2024 is a critical step toward addressing widespread PFAS contamination in U.S. waters. By establishing clear and enforceable limits on PFAS discharges, the bill promotes both environmental stewardship and public health. However, ensuring smooth implementation will require collaboration among federal, state, and industry stakeholders to manage costs and operational challenges. With strong regulatory frameworks in place, this bill has the potential to make lasting improvements in water quality and reduce exposure to dangerous chemicals.
Lobby Day
Join SayNoToPFAS on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 4:00 P.M PST for an email/phone banking event in support of the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act. Activists will be supplied and prepared with the resources they need to be successful lobbyists. Sign up with the link in our Instagram's bio area and access SayNoTo FASs resources, such as our policy brief, and call script. Make sure to follow our Instagram account for more on this campaign on SayNoToPFAS. If you are interested in this cause, we are always looking for new members!
Some pictures from our Lobby Day on October 29th. We called a total of 93 Congressmen and Congresswomen across states like California, New York, Illinois and many more!
