Date: January 10, 2020
Subject: Blocking Excessive Regulations within the Chemical Industry
Description: Burgess (R-TX) amendment to the PFAS Action Act which would protect consumers from draconian product bans related to certain chemical compounds that have been approved for thousands of market applications by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for nearly 40 years. Specifically, the amendment would eliminate the bill's draconian regulations on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) which are used in countless products, including cookware, food packaging and firefighting. The amendment would eliminate the bill's mandate that the federal Environmental Protection Agency designate two PFAS compounds (PFOA and PFOS) as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (commonly referred to as the Superfund). Additionally, the amendment would block the potential "hazardous" designation of approximately 7,800 additional PFAS compounds. The amendment would better align legislative directives with the findings of the FDA which held at the time of this vote that the science surrounding potential health effects is "developing" and that numerous federal agencies had yet to make conclusive findings.
ACU recognizes that government has a role in protecting the public against the harm of dangerous chemicals. However, ACU believes government action should be based on sound scientific data that demonstrate a legitimate risk to public health and safety and therefore opposes this bill's hasty and heavy-handed regulations that ultimately enrich plaintiffs' attorneys and harm consumers.
Result: Amendment Rejected, 161-243
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