Infrastructure Act Clean Water Projects - Senate Committee

Previous Committee meetings’ testimonies on the subject expressed many concerns highlighting gaps in technology making it uneconomical to invest in current water filtration systems capable of removing PFAS to the 4 parts per trillion healthy for human consumption standard and water testing technologies and their costs.

This committee's meeting comes a year and a half after an April 2024 law change prompted a new norm for soil and waste that contains PFAS and its disposal at hazardous waste facilities.

NOTE: They stated that they don’t have to upgrade hazardous waste facilities to receive pfas contaminated media (spent filters). Now they have to pay for the incineration of spent PFAS filled hazardous filters. Previous committee meetings had expressed concerns for the cost of upgrading public water filtration systems and having to raise rates to pay for the cost of the new overhead.

Previous meetings highlighted that 55 billion dollars has been collected under 1970’s law that made your water bill pay for its replacement in the future which translates to the cost of upgrading our water treatment facilities will not add to our national debt (up to 55 billion).

Senator Whitehouse

“The superfund law is the best tool we have.”

Under this law it set the precedent of “If you make the mess, you should be liable for the cost of cleaning it up. ” and “we need research to help provide ways to remove pfas from our environment. Admin Lee Zeldin recently shut down PFAS research.”

He said we need research to help provide ways to remove PFAS from our environment.

The senator went to Brazil for the COP (UN climate conference) where our state department refused to provide any codell support “vouch for the senator” he had to get that from a nonprofit organization. Stating that the US does not support this conference in anyway.

Senator Capito

“We must address the sources of PFAS, as well as PFAS hotspots such as Military bases and airports are majpr sources of contamination”

Congress and the EPA should provide a permenant statitory solution.

Brownsfield ammendments from 2002 provide a framework for cleanup process.

We need to provide a clear path of destroying PFAS.

We need to protect passive receivers if a construction company moved pfas contamination soil to a site, not the construction company moving the soil, but the pollutor of where the soil came from is liable, the current owner and construction compant would be passive receivers in this example.

Senator Rickets

“Soybean meal is a natural replacement for PFAS firefighting foam, new market for soybean farmers.”

PFAS law update highlights from this committee meeting

The first testimony came from the co-ceo of Clean harbors, a national Waste incinerator business capable of incinerating waste at a hot enough temperature to burn off pfas, not all incinerator facilities burn hot enough to remove pfas. “There is permanent infrastructure that can handle incinerating PFAS.”

They have 10 high temp facilities and 7 hazardous waste facilities.

They worked on cleaning up the deep water horizon spill.

2 billion has been released to help upgrade wastewater treatment facilities.

(November 19, 2024) - New Bill bill would establish a new position at the Pentagon "Coordinator for PFAS-Impacted Defense Engagement"

From Article: Bipartisan Initiative Aims to Strengthen Accountability at the Department of Defense to Protect Affected Communities

Under the legislation, the PFAS coordinator would be responsible for:

Engaging directly with affected communities to address concerns, ensure accountability, and provide updates on remediation efforts.
Streamlining communication between local stakeholders, advocacy organizations, and federal agencies.
Driving progress on cleanup efforts with transparency and urgency.

PBS Newshour article about Great lakes effected by Military Bases PFAS contamination from Training exercises

Latest updates about the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation Rulemaking

Proposed Rule [EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0114]

Posted by the Environmental Protection Agency on Oct 8, 2024

More about (H.R.3684)

H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

117th Congress (2021-2022)

Senate Environment & Public Works Committee (Youtube Channel)

https://www.youtube.com/@EPWCmte

EPW Committee Hearing on Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Implementation (youtube committee meeting)

Senator Carper of Delaware is the Chairman of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee

In his opening remarks, he spoke about the Infrastructure Act's

Implementation of Waste Water and Clean Drinking Water rules in 2024.

These PFAS drinking water standards are 20 years in the making.

This is a thoughtful, science based National Drinking Water standard for PFAS which will remove toxic forever chemicals from our waterways and drinking water.

The EPA is funded 12 billion dollars in the Infrastructure act, of that 12 billion, 4 billion is reserved for water infrastructure.

There is 55 billion dollars of State and Federal funds set to improve drinking and waster water in the single largest water infrastructure investment in nation's history.

An additional 219 million is set aside for upgrading school's lead pipes.

The committee had testimonies input about drinking water from large water utilities, EPA Office of Water, and the EPA Administrator Fox.

Senator Capito of West Virginia in her opening remarks

Senator Capito of West Virginia in her opening remarks wanted to highlight the "Effective Solutions to these challenges" through grants for small and disadvantaged communities, innovative water technologies, PFAS special filtration requirements, and critical infrastructure upgrades.

Waster Water treatment facilities will have support to upgrade to advanced treatment technologies.

She also wanted to get the next generation excited about these advancements.

With clean, efficient, reliable and affordable water and sanitation solutions implemented in a mindful prioritized means through our Environmental Justice infrastructure projects.

These projects will directly protect human health.

Sen. Capito reiterated that this implementation should be implemented by the states but addressing the specific needs congress has instructed. The prioritization of water systems projects will not be defined by the census (population) but more by the specific need in communities that is the congressional intent.

EPA Administrator, Hon. Radhika Fox spoke about the Clean and Safe Water standards

EPA Administrator, Hon. Radhika Fox then spoke about the Clean and Safe Water standards being defined by career staff of EPA. They are implementing the standards and defining how to address the issues of clean water.

But this also leaves room for the flexibility of how to implement these standards to the states.

From Lead , to PFAS, to Climate adaptation and mitigation, and supporting good jobs in America the states are funding 43 billion to implement this broad water remediation effort.

The EPA State Workgroup and State Partnership has already invested 5 billion in first year of the Infrastructure act's Clean water initiative. This 5 billion was invested in 47 states and 6 tribes from SFR funding.

In projects like removing Arsenic from water Sierra Visa(RV Park) in Arizona, Linking Sussex County Delaware drinking water to a Regional Water System, and Removing 1000 Lead Pipes from low income areas in Pittsburgh, PA.

There is also 2 billion in Geographic Gulf, Conservation Restoration infrastructure helping protect and remediate the Chesapeake Bay and San Francisco Bay.

50 Million for underground carbon sequester and capture for mitigation of carbon pollution.

Then with EPA's significant technology assistance programs there are 29 environmental hub locations to help address the specific needs of the diverse areas these water infrastructure projects face.

This is a transformational moment and opportunity to steward our resources and deliver on the vision of this water law.

Specifics for Standard PFAS

Epa Administrator Fox said. "Exposure at very low levels is harmful to human health."

There are standards for 6 PFAS Chemicals based on the latest peer reviewed science and new state standard research and development.

This contamination is in our air, land, and water but the exposure of these chemicals in our water is the most significant and harmful.

Specifics for Standard PFAS:

MSL for PFAS in Drinking Water:

Max of 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFAS,

Also an additional 4 chemicals : genx, PFBS, PFBX, .. will be monitored and addressed.

Fox said the EPA has lab capacity to monitor and test these chemicals.

There will be a Public Notification Requirements to allow the public to provide input allowing for a flexible approach to monitoring and compliance. There will be a 60 public comment period for feed back on this proposal where the standard will be implement in 2023 or very early in 2024.

Link to Public comment for PFAS

EPA requests input on the proposal from all stakeholders, including the public, water system managers, and public health professionals. Comments may be submitted through the public docket, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0114, at www.regulations.gov.

More about Clean Water infrastructure

More about PFAS Regulation Standards EPA Press Release

More about Environmental Justice

Check out Pennsylvania's Executive Order on Environmental justice which makes every infrastructure project into an environmental remediation project as well.

This is part of ta Federal Environmental Justice initial that some states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey have enacted.

Senate Passes 2 bills (Mar 14, 2024)

U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, speaks on the Senate floor to celebrate passage of two bipartisan bills that would bolster our nation’s recycling and composting efforts:

S. 1194 - the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act

This act will prompt nationwide residential and business compost waste removal infrastructure and service.

It was already passed by the senate.

S. 1194, the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act

S.1189 - Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2024

This act upgrades our recycling infrastructure and capabilities.

Senator Whitehouse spoke of how "Only 2 percent of plastic you stick in your recycling bin gets recycled which is both a shame and a shame." one of the many problems we are solving with this investment in the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2024.

S. 1189, the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2024

Committee Meeting Writeup

March 15th, 2023 the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee hosted a committee meeting regarding of Water infrastructure. With Funding provided for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act (H.R.3684) passed by President Biden on 11-15-2021, Our Waterways, Drinking water, and Waste water treatment systems will all be upgraded in the largest investment in our water infrastructure ever. This was passed 89 votes in favor to 2 opposing.

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