Last Friday, the House of Representatives approved the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Act sets aside over $1.2 trillion in spending, $10 billion of which will be dedicated to addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination in water. Through the establishment of three new grant programs, $5 billion will go to assisting rural and disadvantaged communities address PFAS in drinking water, $4 billion is pledged to removing PFAS from drinking water supplies, and the remaining $1 billion will be used to help address the presence of PFAS in wastewater discharge.
President Joe Biden is expected to sign the infrastructure bill on Monday, November 15th, 2021. This is just one of several recent moves by the Biden Administration signaling its eagerness to combat PFAS contamination in the United States. Last month, the Administration unveiled its Strategic Roadmap—a monumental plan set to address the negative impacts of PFAS compounds. For a summary of the Strategic Roadmap and other PFAS legislative developments, follow Lathrop GPM’s PFAS Playbook.