Delgado Continues Calls for Drinking Water Protections on House Floor

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) spoke on the House floor yesterday to underscore the importance of ensuring clean drinking water upstate and to highlight his bill that would create new online tools at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Americans to test their private wells. Below is a link to the video and transcript of his remarks.

Click here to watch Rep. Delgado’s full remarks.

“Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today because our communities need peace of mind when drinking water from their personal wells. This is felt acutely in rural communities, where a lack of water infrastructure leads people to use wells as their main water supply. 

“That’s why I joined colleagues on both sides of the aisle to introduce H.R. 6053, which will give folks an easy-to-use tool through the EPA that would enable people to test their own well water. This tool will empower our communities and assure them that they are drinking water that is clean of toxic chemicals.

“I will keep championing work at the federal level to hold the EPA accountable to set a safe drinking water standard, make sure PFAS is regulated under the Clean Water Act, and more. At the same time, we can make sure our communities have the tools they need to feel safe when using well water. Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.”
As a founding member of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force, Rep. Delgado has made addressing PFAS contamination in NY-19 an urgent priority in Congress. Earlier this year, the Congressman successfully amended the PFAS Action Act to include bipartisan amendments he helped to introduce: the PFAS Transparency Act and Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act. These bills seek to address indirect discharges, and keep drinking water safe in municipal waterways.  In addition, during his January in-district work week, the Congressman attended the Hoosick Falls Community Working Group along with EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. Following this meeting, the Congressman wrote a letter urging the EPA to announce their timeline for setting a Maximum Contaminant Level, or MCL, at the federal level.