Senators say Oregon to get $18.9 million to address ’emerging contaminants’ in drinking water

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., this week announced Oregon will receive $18.9 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water.

Here's their news release announcing the funding:

“Access to clean drinking water is a human right that is undermined by the presence of PFAS and other contaminants that often go unaddressed in too many water systems around the state due to outdated infrastructure,” said Wyden, who supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “These dollars will go a long way to identify the communities affected by PFAS contamination, neutralize the pollutants, and then safeguard our state’s future drinking water sources.”

“PFAS contamination represents an urgent public health threat across our nation, with millions of Americans consuming PFAS-contaminated water that could put them and their children at higher risk for cancer, birth defects, and other devastating health outcomes,” said Senator Merkley, who, as Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, wrote the legislation funding the EPA. “This funding to promote clean and safe drinking water for all Oregonians is vital as we work to combat PFAS contamination across the country.”

Oregon received this funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program that assesses and improves access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. EPA announced the funds for Oregon as part of a $2 billion nationwide investment so that states and territories can source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing. 

"Oregonians deserve clean, safe drinking water,"said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. "Thanks to this historic investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is delivering on its commitment to address PFAS and emerging contaminants by providing more than $18 million to safeguard Oregon’s drinking water and protect communities from these dangerous chemicals.”