Senator Rachel May Advances PFAS Discharge Disclosure Act through Environmental Conservation Committee

Syracuse, NY – On Monday, Senator Rachel May (D-Onondaga, Cayuga) advanced her PFAS Discharge Disclosure Act (S227A) through the Environmental Conservation Committee. 

This first-of-its-kind bill in New York State would require publicly owned treatment facilities and people who discharge industrial waste into state waterways to disclose the measurement of PFAS chemicals found in discharge.

The class of chemicals known as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are commonly used in the industrial production of plastics. They are ubiquitous enough to be found in food, clothing, personal care products, soils, and water. They accumulate in our bodies and can disrupt fertility, child development, immune systems, and hormonal activity. As a member of the US EPA’s Local Government Advisory Council, Senator May helped develop recommendations for assisting local governments in protecting residents from the harmful effects of PFAS. This bill will facilitate that process.

“Our hundreds of lakes and thousands of miles of streams in New York provide drinking water for millions of people and support agriculture, fishing, forestry, industry, and recreation. As a representative on the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Council, I have worked with partners from across the nation to help advocate for tightening up our regulations to protect our fresh water. That’s why I’ve introduced the PFAS Discharge Disclosure Act, to require the DEC to create rules for testing and reporting on the discharge of so-called “forever chemicals” to the state’s waters. This bill is critical if we want to protect our precious freshwater resources and ensure the health of future generations,” said Senator Rachel May.

Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles sponsors the bill in the Assembly. 

"In 2021, New Yorkers voted to enshrine the right to clean, safe drinking water into our State Constitution, and now it's time to live up to that promise,” said Assemblymember Kelles. "I am encouraged to see this bill leave the Senate's Committee on Environmental Conservation, and thank my colleague Senator May for pushing for the rights of New Yorkers to know if there are harmful toxic chemicals entering their waterways."