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The EPA says the agency is committed to setting a mandatory limit for the chemicals in drinking water but is still considering whether to pursue other ways to regulate them.

Now, a bipartisan group of senators is pushing their own bill to force the EPA to move faster.

All West Virginians deserve safe, clean drinking water. That’s why I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation mandating that the @EPA declare PFAS as hazardous substances & enabling a requirement that polluters undertake or pay for remediation. MORE: https://t.co/DIc6M07zwM

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) March 4, 2019

I recently joined a bipartisan effort to declare per- & polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances. The studies surrounding the effects of PFAS are ongoing, but emerging findings indicate that these compounds are linked to a number of adverse human health effects. pic.twitter.com/E3BIWHlqh3

— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) March 4, 2019

A newly proposed Senate bill and its companion in the House would require the EPA to list PFAS chemicals as hazardous within a year, opening up hundreds of communities to become Superfund sites and require the Air Force to spend millions of dollars in cleanup costs.

Six Republican senators signed on to the effort with eight Democrats supporting the legislation.

Two members of Congress, Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), will testify on how it has impacted their states. Kildee and Fitzpatrick have also launched a bipartisan task force intended to recruit more colleagues to push for legislation on this issue.

On Wednesday, the oversight environment subcommittee led by Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Ca.) will question the head of the EPA's water office Dave Ross and Maureen Sullivan, a top DOD official focused on the environment, on whether they are doing enough to help communities impacted by these chemicals.

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