A bill requiring DHEC to promulgate drinking water MCLs for PFAS and other compounds was pre-filed in November 2019.

PFAS Bill to Reach House Floor this Week (Jan 6, 2020)

• On January 9, the House is expected to bring legislation related to toxic chemicals to the floor and a vote on passage could happen as soon as the following day;
• The bill, H.R. 535, would push the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create nationwide protective measures against poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS);
• H.R. 535 passed out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on November 20 by a vote of 31-19;
• The bill requires that within one year of enactment, the EPA Administrator shall designate all PFAS substances as hazardous under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA);
• The legislation would effectively bar the production of PFAS compounds, as well as direct EPA to drinking water standards for the chemicals;
• The bill also includes language which would authorize $500 million over the next five years to help states address PFAS in drinking water, as well as $200 million over the next two years to install treatment technologies;
• The overall bill incorporated legislative text from 11 additional Committee bills related to PFAS, but it is unclear whether a House-passed bill would be brought to the floor in the Senate.