WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain regarding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

“On January 20, 2021, you issued a memorandum titled ‘Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,’ which directs that any new or pending rules be immediately frozen from publication in the Federal Register until the Biden administration reviews and approves of them. Caught—I hope unintentionally—in this review process are significant actions to address PFAS. I have long taken a lead role in bipartisan efforts to address PFAS, and of significant importance to me is the timely action of EPA to promulgate a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act,” Ranking Member Capito wrote.

The full letter can be found here.

BACKGROUND:

Senator Capito has long advocated for EPA to set a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFAS in drinking water, introducing several pieces of bipartisan legislation directing EPA to take such an action. EPA announced their determination to regulate PFOA and PFOS in drinking water in January of this year. The memo sent by Chief of Staff Klain froze publication of EPA’s determination and stopped the agency’s development of a drinking water regulation. Learn more about Senator Capito’s work on PFAS here. 

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