Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments * Center for Biological Diversity * Center for Environmental Health * Clean Water Action * Earthjustice * Endangered Species Coalition * Environment America * Environmental Health Strategy Center * Environmental Working Group * GreenLatinos * League of Conservation Voters * Natural Resources Defense Council * Safer Chemicals Healthy Families * Sierra Club * Southern Environmental Law Center * Toxic-Free Future *
Union of Concerned Scientists * WE ACT for Environmental Justice

July 10, 2019

RE: Support PFAS amendments to NDAA

Dear Representative:

On behalf of our millions of members and supporters nationwide, we urge you to support PFAS reform amendments to H.R. 2500, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2020.

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances are “forever chemicals” that contaminate the drinking water of millions of Americans. This week, the House will vote on a series of amendments to H.R. 2500 that would begin to address the PFAS contamination crisis. These amendments will help us understand the scope of the crisis; address ongoing PFAS releases; clean-up legacy PFAS; and assist military families with finding solutions to health problems linked to PFAS pollution.

In particular, we urge you to support amendments that would:

• Designate PFAS as hazardous substances under CERLCA, the Superfund law (Dingell #537)
• Accelerate PFAS cleanup near military and other federal installations (Dingell #538)
• Require community notification of DOD PFAS detections (Turner #94)
• Quickly phase out military use of PFAS in firefighting foam (Dean #512)
• Set limits on PFAS discharges into drinking water supplies (Pappas #665)
• End the use of PFAS in military food packaging (Dingell #141)
• Expand water quality monitoring for PFAS (Kildee #7)
• Regulate incineration of PFAS wastes (Levin #352)
• Provide additional $5 million for ATSDR study (Dean #518)
• Create an online health database for military members (Pappas #165)

• Require GAO to study DOD’s PFAS clean-up efforts (Kildee #159)

While these actions will not completely solve the PFAS crisis, they are important first steps towards protecting our families and communities from these toxic chemicals.

Again, we urge you to VOTE YES when these amendments are offered to H.R. 2500, the National Defense Authorization Act.

Sincerely,

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

Center for Biological Diversity

Center for Environmental Health

Clean Water Action

Earthjustice

Endangered Species Coalition

Environment America

Environmental Health Strategy Center

Environmental Working Group

GreenLatinos

League of Conservation Voters

Natural Resources Defense Council

Safer Chemicals Healthy Families

Sierra Club

Southern Environmental Law Center

Toxic-Free Future

Union of Concerned Scientists

WE ACT for Environmental Justice