S. Hrg. 115–461 THE FEDERAL ROLE IN THE TOXIC PFAS CHEMICAL CRISIS HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL SPENDING OVERSIGHT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 Available via http://www.govinfo.gov Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 33–955 PDF WASHINGTON : 2019 COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman ROB PORTMAN, Ohio CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri RAND PAUL, Kentucky THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming GARY C. PETERS, Michigan JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire STEVE DAINES, Montana KAMALA D. HARRIS, California JON KYL, Arizona DOUG JONES, Alabama CHRISTOPHER R. HIXON, Staff Director MARGARET E. DAUM, Minority Staff Director LAURA W. KILBRIDE, Chief Clerk SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL SPENDING OVERSIGHT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RAND PAUL, Kentucky, Chairman JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma GARY C. PETERS, Michigan MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming KAMALA D. HARRIS, California JOHN HOEVEN, Montana DOUG JONES, Alabama GREG MCNEILL, Staff Director ZACHARY SCHRAM, Minority Staff Director KATE KIELCESKI, Chief Clerk (II) C O N T E N T S Opening statement: Page Senator Paul ..................................................................................................... 1 Senator Peters .................................................................................................. 1 Senator Harris .................................................................................................. 3 Senator Hassan ................................................................................................. 14 Senator Shaheen ............................................................................................... 16 Senator Jones .................................................................................................... 19 Senator Carper ................................................................................................. 21 Prepared statement: Senator Paul ..................................................................................................... 41 Senator Peters .................................................................................................. 43 WITNESSES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 Peter C. Grevatt, Ph.D., Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ................................................. 4 Maureen Sullivan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment, U.S. Department of Defense ....................................................... 6 Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., A.T.S., Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services .................. 7 Brian J. Lepore, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, U.S. Gov- ernment Accountability Office ............................................................................. 9 Andrea Amico, Co-Founder, Testing for Pease ...................................................... 29 Arnold Leriche, Community Co-Chair, Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board ..................................................................................................................... 31 Timothy Putnam, Vice President, Tidewater Federal Firefighters Local F– 25, International Association of Fire Fighters ................................................... 32 ALPHABETICAL LIST OF WITNESSES Amico, Andrea: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 29 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 82 Birnbaum, Linda S., Ph.D., D.A.B.T., A.T.S.: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 7 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 56 Grevatt, Peter C., Ph.D.: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 4 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 45 Lepore, Brian J.: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 9 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 69 Leriche, Arnold: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 31 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 89 Putnam, Timothy: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 32 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 92 Sullivan, Maureen: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 6 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 50 (III) IV Page APPENDIX Statements for the Record: Scott Markam ................................................................................................... 103 Michigan League of Conservation Voters ....................................................... 105 Tess Nelkie ........................................................................................................ 130 Jane Lauber ...................................................................................................... 131 Martha Gotllieb ................................................................................................ 133 Jeri-Lynne Richardson ..................................................................................... 135 Marcy Harig ...................................................................................................... 136 Crittenden Family ............................................................................................ 137 Julie Spahn ....................................................................................................... 138 Wurtsmith Firefighter ...................................................................................... 139 Susan Turoski ................................................................................................... 140 Ken Turczyn ...................................................................................................... 141 Chris Rogers ...................................................................................................... 142 Tammy Cooper .................................................................................................. 143 Danny R. Burns ................................................................................................ 145 Linda Cole ......................................................................................................... 146 David Gregory ................................................................................................... 147 Lisa Whisenant Storey ..................................................................................... 148 James M. Bussey .............................................................................................. 149 Jennifer Carney ................................................................................................ 150 Environment America et al ............................................................................. 152 Mayor of Dayton ............................................................................................... 155 Tobyn McNaughton .......................................................................................... 157 Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water .............................................................. 159 Pamela Miller et al ........................................................................................... 161 National Ground Water Association ............................................................... 165 New Hampshire Department of Envronmental Services .............................. 167 Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport Authority ............................................................. 168 Southern Environmental Law Center ............................................................. 171 Sierra Club ........................................................................................................ 188 Eric Tobin .......................................................................................................... 191 Water Quality Association ............................................................................... 193 Cathy Wusterbarth ........................................................................................... 195 Sandy Wynn-Stelt ............................................................................................. 197 Responses to post-hearing questions for the Record from: Mr. Grevatt