La Crosse, WI – Today, Rep. Ron Kind announced that he joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately close a reporting loophole that allows hundreds of dangerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals to be manufactured, processed, used, and released in the United States.  

“PFAS contamination is a serious health and safety concern but due to a reporting loophole, polluters are currently able to significantly underreport or avoid reporting their PFAS releases entirely. This leaves communities exposed to PFAS with little to no knowledge of where these chemicals are and in what volumes,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “Wisconsinites deserve to know where PFAS chemicals are in proximity to their homes and families. I’m joining colleagues on both sides of the aisle to urge the EPA to take action and close these reporting loopholes immediately.”  

Congressional action was taken in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to list certain PFAS on the Toxics Release Inventory to ensure transparency and accountability. However, an existing loophole has enabled polluters to release dangerous PFAS chemicals and skirt reporting mandates.  

In the PFAS Strategic Roadmap, the EPA proposed a solution to the loopholes that would be published in March 2022. The release of this proposed rule is currently delayed, pushing back the implementation timeline and allowing polluters to continue underreporting these dangerous releases until at least 2024.  

Rep. Kind is a member of the Congressional PFAS Task Force. Recently, Rep. Kind fought to ensure American Rescue Plan funds could be used to address PFAS and helped introduce and pass the landmark PFAS Action Act, which would protect our air, land, and water from PFAS contamination.   

Read the bipartisan letter here.  

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