January 13, 2021

Duckworth Statement on Trump Administration Decision to Weaken Health Assessment on Water-Contaminating Toxic Chemical

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works and Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement today about the Trump Administration’s decision to weaken the health assessment for PFAS, a toxic chemical contaminating the drinking water of thousands of Americans:

“It is unconscionable – but not surprising – that in their final days the Trump Administration is once again undermining important environmental protections for communities across the country. Weakening the safety assessment for a known carcinogen like PFAS that easily contaminates groundwater supplies will undoubtedly hurt our Veterans and servicemembers, as the chemical is a key component in firefighting foam and is used in training exercises at U.S. Air Force installations. The Pentagon has admitted that there are more than 400 military bases across the country with known or suspected PFAS contamination.

“I will help lead efforts in Congress to repair the damage the Trump Administration has inflicted on our environment and public health. It’s past time we cleaned the legacy of this pollution up and prevented future pollution moving forward.”

Duckworth has been a strong advocate for greater regulations around PFAS, including authoring an amendment in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to make it easier for the Department of Defense and the National Guard to begin clean-up of PFAS based on the drinking water standards set in each state. Last year Duckworth also helped introduce legislation to help communities combat PFAS contamination and exposure in drinking water and groundwater.

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