Chellie Pingree: “I thank Chairman Pallone and Congresswoman Dingell for their leadership on PFAS issues, and I thank Congresswoman…”

“I thank Chairman Pallone and Congresswoman Dingell for their leadership on PFAS issues, and I thank Congresswoman Spanberger, who is also a sponsor of this amendment with me. I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 535, the PFAS Action Act of 2019. This bipartisan bill would take much-needed and long- overdue action on these forever harmful chemicals. These pervasive and dangerous chemicals pose serious risks to both human health and to our environment, and the delay in taking action on them has been inexcusable. They are known hormone disruptors, and studies link exposure to them to kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and other health problems. PFAS chemicals are concentrated in human and animal blood and tissue and can remain there for years. It is estimated that 99 percent of Americans have PFAS in their blood. In my home State of Maine, PFAS was first discovered from the groundwater at former military installations from firefighting foam, but PFAS has also been found in our public water supplies, soil, animal products, and household products like cookware and carpets. A 2015 review by the Environmental Working Group showed the majority of PFAS in homes comes from its presence in carpets and textiles. The U.S.…”