WATCH: Senator Mark Kelly Raises Issue of Water Contamination During Environment and Public Works Committee

Today, at a hearing on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly raised the urgent need to address PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination of drinking water affecting communities throughout Arizona, including Tucson and the West Valley.  

This comes the day after the City of Tucson announced the indefinite shutdown of the Tucson Airport Remediation Project water treatment facility (TARP) starting on June 21, 2021 due to increasing levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the groundwater wells serving the plant. 

“That’s why, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am pushing to ensure language is included in the 2022 National Defense Authorization bill requiring that the Department of Defense’s Environmental Restoration Program gives priority to PFAS cleanup efforts in communities near military installations that rely on groundwater for their drinking water, with a particular emphasis on Sole Source Aquifers, like the groundwater aquifer in Tucson,” Kelly said during the hearing.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero applauded Kelly’s support at today’s hearing, tweeting: “My sincere thanks to [Senator Mark Kelly] for his remarks at today’s [EPW Committee] hearing in support of expeditious action to address #PFAS in Tucson and throughout the entire nation. My thanks to Arizona’s Congressional Delegation for their tireless advocacy on this urgent matter.”

Senator Kelly also signed onto a letter today with Arizona lawmakers urging Defense Secretary Austin to expedite remediation efforts at the Department of Defense for PFAS contamination in Tucson. 

To watch Kelly’s full remarks, click here.