The issue of PFAS or man-made chemicals has gained more and more attention on Capitol Hill. It is also one of the points that arose from the recent House approval of the National Defense Authorization Act, H.R. 2500.
POLITICO’s Morning Energy Report indicated Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee did not support language on PFAS contamination in the House bill. But he still predicted a relatively smooth process resolving differences between the two versions of the bill.
“There are a number of things that the House added that I don’t agree with and that’s one of the items,” Inhofe told reporters of the PFAS language. He hopes to complete work on the legislation by Oct. 1 and said House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith agreed that time frame would be possible.
Meanwhile, contamination of the class of manmade chemicals has been detected in four private wells near Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Officials said in a news release Sunday that they had been notified about the elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalykyl substances, or PFAS, by the U.S. Air Force and Dover Air Force Base.
Wells at the base have PFAS levels above a federal health advisory limit, and testing of nearby private wells has been ongoing.
According to the news release, the four wells provide water to a shopping center with five businesses, two residences and an office building. The owners have been notified, and the base has provided bottled water.
The widely used compounds are linked to a variety of health issues and have come under intense federal and state scrutiny in recent years.