Delgado Receives Perfect Score From Environmental Group

WASHINGTON – In its second report ranking members of the U.S. House of Representatives for their votes on legislation related to toxic chemicals, the Environmental Working Group Action Fund presented Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-N.Y., with a perfect score.

Much of Delgado’s environmental initiatives concern man-made substances known as PFAS — a chemical commonly found in commercial household products, food packaging and certain types of fire-retardant foams — that can cause “adverse human health effects” with prolonged exposure, according to the EPA.

Delgado — a founding member of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force — sponsored the PFAS Right-To-Know Act, which created a new chemical class and requires industrial facilities with 10 employees or more to report to the EPA if they exceed a certain yearly PFAS threshold, according to the bill’s text. The PFAS Right-to-Know Act was later signed into law and passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

“Addressing PFAS contamination and exposure has been a top priority throughout my time in Congress and I am proud to earn a perfect score on the Environmental Working Group Action Fund Chemical Scorecard,” Delgado said in a statement. “The work to rid our water of toxic pollutants is far from over. I am committed to continuing these efforts, along with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to reduce the levels of these dangerous chemicals in our air and water, and help our communities address the unthinkable consequences of PFAS contamination.”

Delgado also previously urged the EPA to install maximum PFAS contaminant levels as well as institute further provisions to address water contamination nationwide, according to a release from his office. 

Two bills introduced by Delgado this year address discharges of toxic PFAS chemicals in waterways and water treatment systems. The PFAS Transparency Act would forbid indirect discharges of industrial PFAS into wastewater treatment systems unless advance notice is given, and the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act of 2020 would allow the EPA to regulate PFAS release in water systems by adding the substance to the Clean Water Act’s Toxic Pollutants List.

These bills were both consolidated and included in the House-passed PFAS Action Act, according to a release from Delgado’s office. The bill has since been received and read twice in the Senate, where it was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

“No one has worked harder to address the risks posed by PFAS pollution than Rep. Delgado,” Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs for EWG Action Fund, said in a statement. “PFAS pollution threatens millions of Americans. Thanks to the leadership of Rep. Delgado, Congress is making PFAS a priority.”