environment and resistant to typical environmental degradation
processes," according the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). The EPA also states, "The toxicity, mobility and
bioaccumulation potential of PFOS and PFOA pose potential
adverse effects for the environment and human health"; and
WHEREAS, A growing body of science has established
associations between PFOS and PFOA and a range of health effects
including a variety of cancers; and
WHEREAS, The chemicals were first discovered in local public
water supplies near the former military bases by an EPA testing
program in 2013 and 2014, resulting in a health advisory that
took several public water wells offline; and
WHEREAS, On Thursday, May 19, 2016, the EPA issued an update
to its health advisory for PFOS and PFOA that significantly
reduced the amount considered safe in drinking water. In the
worst possible case, water containing the chemicals at an amount
previously deemed safe would now be more than eight times over
the recommended limits; and
WHEREAS, The new recommended levels have resulted in
officials from the Horsham Water and Sewer Authority, Warminster
Municipal Authority and Warrington Township Water and Sewer
Department shutting down contaminated public drinking water
wells, including 16 municipal wells in Horsham, Warrington and
Warminster Townships and an estimated 80 private wells; and
WHEREAS, While the Senate of Pennsylvania acknowledges the
current efforts of the EPA and the Department of Defense (DOD)
as well as the Department of Environmental Protection to provide
bottled water to local residents, more needs to be done to fully
address this situation; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
20160SR0384PN1873 - 2 -
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