On the recordJanuary 9, 2020
Today, I am pleased to offer this bipartisan amendment to strengthen this legislation aimed at addressing PFAS contamination in our communities. Right now, communities in upstate New York continue to struggle with the impacts of PFAS contamination in drinking water. Residents of Hoosick Falls and Petersburg in Rensselaer County are living every day with the impacts of PFAS contamination, which we know include thyroid disease, birth defects, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. Last year, Emily Marpe, who now lives with her family in Hoosick Falls, testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee about her experiences with contaminated water in her home in Petersburg, New York. Emily spoke about her experiences of being unable to drink the water from her faucet and having to sell her home and then test her blood as well as the blood of her children for PFOA. What Emily described is all too common in my district, and it is representative of the experiences of communities across the country. This is why PFAS has been a priority of mine and so many in this Chamber on both sides of the aisle. The PFAS Action Act is a critically important bill. My bipartisan amendment will strengthen this legislation and address another element of this crisis: indirect discharge.…
