Sustainable PFAS Action Network Submits Comments to Senate EPW’s Draft PFAS Package
SPAN stands ready to work with Congress to advance effective and sustainable actions to address PFAS concerns
Today, the Sustainable PFAS Action Network (SPAN) submitted comments to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) regarding proposed PFAS legislation.
The Draft PFAS Package comes at a time when many states have been looking to the federal government for guidance to responsibly manage PFAS. The past several years have seen a proliferation of legislative proposals and new laws governing PFAS at the state level. Without significant guidance at the Federal level, states will continue passing an unworkable patchwork of laws that take a flawed class-based approach to managing PFAS.
“The need for federal leadership on PFAS is urgent but getting it right is just as important,” said Kevin Fay, Executive Director of SPAN. “We commend the Senate EPW Committee for their leadership so that individual states are not left to navigate through the financial burden and exhaustive resources it would take to address PFAS issues adequately; consequently, we are hopeful we can serve as a resource to ensure that the legislation wholly addresses perceived environmental and health threats while maintaining America’s economic edge.”
SPAN’s Core Principals
Our comments are informed by a set of principles that SPAN has developed to guide our participation in the Federal and state policy processes. These principles include advocating for:
Aggressive identification and remediation of contaminated sites
A uniform Federal policy in lieu of multiple state programs
Narrowing the definition of PFAS to focus on substances most likely to exhibit characteristics affecting risk
An effective and manageable program for reporting on commercially active PFAS and PFAS-containing products
Science- and risk-based categorization of compounds and potential regulatory controls
An efficient and constructive approval process for new PFAS alternatives that is modeled on the SNAP program for implementing the Montreal Protocol
An essential-use exemption process with established criteria when categorical prohibitions are imposed
Long-term PFAS emission reduction goals
Sufficient funding for staff and PFAS-related resources at Federal and State levels
The Sustainable PFAS Action Network urges Congress to lead on this economically vital issue and pass much-needed PFAS management legislation that includes:
An appropriate definition of PFAS for Federal regulatory purposes
The importance that essential uses of PFAS be credibly identified
The need to focus resources on risk categorization and prioritization
Funding and technical assistance for states and disadvantaged local communities
Funding for PFAS research and alternatives development
Motivating faster EPA activity through the imposition of deadlines and standards
The full letter, which provides in-depth comments on defining PFAS, risk-management, R&D, remediation and more, is available by clicking here.
ABOUT SPAN
Formed in 2021, SPAN members recognize that America’s innovators and industries depend on the responsible management of PFAS compounds. The organization supports science- and risk-based policy approaches that recognize the unique differences of these compounds. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified more than 10,000 materials that are likely to meet the broadest definition of PFAS. However, the number of compounds currently commercially manufactured or used in the United States today is closer to 700. Recognizing the essential role of PFAS compounds in enabling economic prosperity, delivering lifesaving equipment and medicine, climate change mitigation, and national security, among many other important applications, SPAN is committed to their sustainable use and responsible management.
More information about SPAN and industries they support is available by visiting www.span.org.
