Lawmakers propose $1B water infrastructure bill, could it help with PFAS in Cascade Township?

The bill called the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act, was introduced March 19 by Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, who co-chair the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force.

Stevens said Michigan cannot address the crisis without federal support."We know in Michigan our pride is our water and our stewardship of the freshwater assets in the Great Lakes," Stevens said. "We also need to do cleanup."

"We can't go it alone, and we need federal partnerships," she added.

Stevens said the bill is designed with equity in mind."We want to make sure that disadvantaged places can get a leg up, that they don't just have to pay for the mistakes of others," she said.

For neighbors concerned about rising water bills, Stevens said covering a significant share of project costs could provide relief.

"If it's to tackle the grocery bill and lower the cost of food, if it's efforts that I've just introduced to lower energy bills, and in this instance, freeing up some of those fixed costs could absolutely lead to something along those lines," Stevens said. "I want to save Michigan taxpayers money, and I want to utilize the federal government to meet a need right here in our state."

Stevens said she hopes Cascade Township takes advantage of the funding if the bill passes. "We'd love to see Cascade Township apply for these dollars, and this is a bill that saves the taxpayers," she said.