On the recordJanuary 9, 2020
My amendment would require the EPA administrator to certify to Congress the agency has completed its own PFAS Action Plan before the underlying bill may be implemented. My amendment acknowledges the concern for human health and the environment caused by drinking water contamination and enables the EPA, the appropriate regulatory agency, to improve the situation through careful science. PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in a variety of products that have commercial, industrial, and military uses. These substances are often found in everyday objects and relied upon by Americans. One of the most important uses is medical devices. PFAS materials are central components of many medical devices because they are bio- compatible, durable, and deemed safe for implantation when necessary. PFAS, and, in fact, fluoropolymers, have lifesaving applications in medical devices, including heart patches and grafts, stents, and surgical mesh. They are found in catheters and other medical tubing and guide wires used in surgical patients and to treat thousands of diseases. These substances are even found in sterile coatings on hospital gowns, masks, and other tools needed to keep hospital settings sterile and fight infections. In my district of Ohio 12, medical device producers make these critical products and contribute to improving patients' lives every day. Clearly, not all PFAS are the same.…





