Representatives Scholten, Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Get PFAS Out Of Water

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representatives Hillary Scholten (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), members of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force, introduced the Public Utility Remediation and Enhancement for Water Act (the PURE Water Act). The PURE Water Act would provide funding for municipal water treatment facilities to help them remove PFAS from our drinking water. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), otherwise known as “forever chemicals,” are widely used, long-lasting chemicals that are linked to an array of serious health problems, including various cancers, reproductive challenges, birth defects, and more. 

“Michigan has some of the highest levels of PFAS in our drinking water. It’s one thing to recognize this problem, and it’s another to empower local communities to act,” said Representative Scholten. “I’m proud to be introducing this commonsense, bipartisan legislation to provide water treatment facilities across the country with the necessary funding to conduct cleanups. Local governments shouldn’t be footing the bill–Congress needs to be doing everything we can to ensure communities can access clean drinking water. I look forward to working across the aisle to get the bill passed.”

“As Co-Chair of the bipartisan PFAS Task Force, I have worked to expose the scope of PFAS contamination, strengthen cleanup standards, and deliver federal resources to affected communities. Despite the progress we’ve made, ‘forever chemicals’ remain a serious threat, polluting our drinking water, endangering public health, and burdening municipalities with costs they did not create,” said Representative Fitzpatrick. “Our PURE Water Act offers a targeted, bipartisan solution, funding municipal water treatment facilities to remove PFAS at the source, protect families, restore trust, and hold polluters—not taxpayers—accountable.”

Representative Scholten is a longstanding advocate for cleaning up and reducing exposure to PFAS contamination. As a member of the bipartisan PFAS Task Force and the Vice Ranking Member of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, she champions the PFAS Alternatives Act to develop PFAS-free personal protective equipment for firefighters and keep our waters clean. In 2024, she announced that the Gerald R. Ford Airport received $300,000 to clean up PFAS contamination on its site through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

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