NACWA convened a call last week at the request of the New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA) to discuss PFAS, EPA’s action on this issue to date including work under the Agency’s PFAS Action Plan, and how various states are tackling this complex topic.

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the recognized leader in legislative, regulatory and legal advocacy on clean water issues, today issued the following statement in response to the passage of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) commends the House and Senate negotiators on reaching agreement on final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) language which advances federal action on PFAS while respecting EPA’s scientific and regulatory processes.

In an important legislative achievement for NACWA and the clean water sector, House and Senate negotiators released their compromise Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA - the Full report and summary are viewable online) earlier this week and excluded the most problematic PFAS provisions.

NACWA helped spearhead a meeting of diverse stakeholders last week to discuss water affordability challenges. The group came together to discuss respective priorities around water affordability issues, potential areas for collaboration, and interest in advancing federal legislation.

EPA sent a proposed regulatory determination to establish a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOA and PFOS, two of the most well-known PFAS constituents, to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on December 4. This is consistent with the Agency’s PFAS Action Plan, which envisioned EPA beginning this regulatory process.