Rep. Haley Stevens Convenes State and Local Leaders and Stakeholders to Discuss Clean Water and PFAS Removal Efforts
Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI) convened a roundtable of state and local water leaders in Pontiac to discuss water quality investments in Oakland County and future work to advance water treatment technologies, strengthen environmental protections, and lower costs. Participants included stakeholders from Oakland County Water Resources; the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; the Great Lakes Water Authority; and the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network.
The roundtable included a discussion of Rep. Stevens’ recently-introduced Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act, which would help communities invest in new wastewater treatment technologies that do a better job at keeping PFAS out of our drinking water. The participants also had a thoughtful discussion on the broader need to support clean water access and lower costs for Michiganders on their water utility bills.
“Michiganders deserve the cleanest water in the world at a price they can afford,” said Rep. Haley Stevens. “Working in partnership with local leaders and stakeholders, I’m proud to have secured millions of dollars to improve Oakland County’s water infrastructure throughout my time in Congress. We’ll keep working together to keep water bills low for Michigan families and ensure every Michigander has access to clean, PFAS-free water.”
“Meeting with our congresswoman is important because many communities are struggling to keep up their aging infrastructure, protect our water from contaminants and build more resilient infrastructure,” said Jim Nash, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner. “Federal assistance is important to help local communities solve these problems without impacting the ratepayers more than they can support. This is a nationwide problem that needs a national response. Representative Stevens has a record of supporting clean water that is exemplified by this Legislation.”
“Today we saw truly innovative wastewater infrastructure on the ground in Oakland County that keeps contaminants like PFAS out of our water, saves money for ratepayers, and reduces energy use,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos. “I’m grateful for federal, state, and local partners who continue to invest in leading-edge solutions to protect public health and our water resources.”
“The Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act is an important bipartisan step that would help in reducing toxic PFAS discharges into rivers, lakes, and streams across Michigan,” said Tony Spaniola, co-chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. “I commend Congresswoman Stevens for working across the aisle in the effort to improve and protect the safety of our waterways, our fish, and other natural resources. This is not a partisan issue. Our health and our economy depend on it.”
Stevens has been leading the fight to remove PFAS from our air and our waterways by strengthening drinking water reporting requirements, securing major PFAS cleanup funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and introducing the PFAS-Free Procurement Act. Earlier this year, she introduced the bipartisan PROTECT Act to target PFAS contaminants in the air. In January, Stevens secured federal funding for water infrastructure improvements in Berkley, Farmington, Auburn Hills, and Ferndale.
B-roll of today’s facility tour and roundtable discussion is available here.
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