Lawmakers: High costs slowing action on contaminant in water - dental floss water jet

WASHINGTON —
Clean up and protect the United StatesS.
Drinking water, a class of toxic chemicals used in many household products, may cost tens of billions of dollars nationwide, of which the Defense Department alone spent $2 billion, Wednesday, witnesses testified before a panel in the House, urging the federal government to speed up the clean-up. Rep.
Harley Ruda, a California Democrat who chaired the House subcommittee on oversight and reform of the environment, told reporters after the hearing that, the "obvious" high costs are slowing down efforts by the federal government to regulate and clean up toxic chemicals that are present in a range of commodities, including non-stick pans-
Clothes, floss and food containers.
They're also in the fire bubble the army used to fight jets. fuel fires.
This compound, known as PFAS and multi-fluorine, has been in use for decades.
Water sampling shows contaminants-
Also known as "eternal chemicals" because they take thousands of years to break down-have penetrated into many public water systems in the United States and around the world, including military bases and industries.
The director of environmental protection, Andrew Wheeler, told reporters Tuesday that the agency is working to set federal restrictions on certain contaminants in drinking water.
State and local communities say they need mandatory EPA restrictions to fully launch
Scale cleaning and protection of compounds.
Rouda told EPA and defense officials that "there is no indication when the process will actually be completed . "
At the same time, military officials are "shirking responsibility from the EPA," he said, rather than carrying out a national clean-up of the sites with high levels of PFAS pollution. Democratic Rep.
Dan kildi, Michigan, says veterans and families are increasingly worried about PFAS pollution around the base.
"So far, in particular, the Ministry of Defense has not acted with the necessary urgency to address this growing problem," he said . ".
Since last year, the pressure on the Trump administration to start regulating toxic compounds has increased, when a draft federal toxicology report found that some of the widely used chemicals were far less harmful than the federal government's current level of consultation.
The Federal Registry of Toxic Substances and diseases cited studies linking PFAS pollution to liver problems, low birth weight, some cancers and other health problems. Rep.
Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican of Pennsylvania
The chairman of the congressional PFAS task force called the Permanent compound one of the most common public health crises in the United StatesS. faces.
But Fitzpatrick warned against setting the PFAS limit too low because it would cost tens of billions of dollars to make the water system meet the requirements.
EPA Assistant Director of Water Affairs David Ross defended the agency's decision to continue working on these compounds before any formal regulatory action.
"The Science of fully understanding these chemicals is not as strong as it needs," Ross said . ".
Addressing PFAS pollution is a national priority for the agency, he said.
Communities and states say EPA has taken few concrete steps in starting to address the problem.
On Wednesday's Twitter, Rob Allen, mayor of the city of hosike falls in New York, was accused of being the cause of excessive PFAS in the water, evoking the compound's nickname, "EPA needs to 'ever' to fulfill their responsibility to regulate them.
The Ministry of Defense has identified 401 military sites using PFAS and identified 24 US military bases. S.
Army drinking
Water systems around the world, PFAS levels are higher than current US levelsS.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Maureen Sullivan, told lawmakers that it was a consulting-level position. U. S.
Military officials at these bases are providing bottled water or other spare water, Sullivan said.
Clean up the base contaminated by two of the best bases
She said it would cost about $2 billion to study the version of PFAS.
Kildy's Michigan State has been one of the most active states in PFAS testing and responding to pollution, and he said the Pentagon has not yet asked for the cleanup funds.
Some state and local communities with military bases have accused the military of refusing the Pentagon to be responsible for cleaning up on the grounds that PFAS in drinking water did not have any mandatory federal restrictions.
On Tuesday, New Mexico filed a lawsuit against the Air Force over PFAS polluting two bases in the state.
Sullivan said the Pentagon is currently blocking the use of fire foam containing PFAS in training exercises at military bases.
However, Sullivan said the Department of Defense has not yet found a commercial foam without PFAS, which is effective enough to put out aircraft fires.