LANSING — Yesterday, four days after wrapping up two weeks of session, legislative Republicans told a reporter that hearings would be scheduled to discuss legislation creating enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS. House Bill 5373 was initially introduced in December 2017 by state Rep. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), and has sat untouched before the committee for the past 299 days. In response to the announcement, Rep. Brinks made the following statement:
“After 299 days of inaction, I’m glad legislative Republicans are finally ready to take the danger of PFAS contamination seriously. It has been nearly a year since I introduced legislation that would create safe drinking water standards for PFAS in Michigan, and during that time Michigan residents have continued to suffer from the threat these chemicals pose.
“Holding these hearings brings us one step closer to putting a stop to the health dangers caused by PFAS contamination and reassuring Michigan families that their water is safe. Waiting even one more day to address the threat of PFAS in our drinking water is too long; with these announced hearings, I hope that wait may finally be coming to an end.”
###