House subcommittee boosts EPA’s budget to tackle toxic 'forever chemicals'

June 22, 2022

Read the full article by EWG

"On Tuesday, a key House subcommittee approved $126 million in the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget for fiscal year 2023 to address the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.

If enacted, the funding would represent a 70 percent increase over the paltry sum of $74 million currently in the EPA budget for tackling PFAS contamination nationwide. This would also be the highest level of funding ever provided to the agency to address the PFAS crisis.

“Just last week, the EPA announced infinitesimally low levels for PFAS in drinking water in new lifetime health advisories,” said John Reeder, EWG’s vice president for federal affairs. “These ‘forever chemicals’ are much more toxic than previously thought. All agencies must redouble efforts to protect people from exposure to PFAS in our water and food.”

The PFAS funding as part of EPA’s FY 2023 spending bill was announced by subcommittee Chair Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)."