WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today announced that the U.S. Air Force has agreed to reimburse the City of Martinsburg $4,915,628 for expenses related to the 2016 cleanup of certain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the city’s water supply.
 
“I’m so thrilled that the Air Force has finally put forward an agreement that will help recuperate the significant costs Martinsburg incurred during the cleanup of their water supply,” Senator Capito said. “When faced with this serious public health challenge, the city stepped up to protect the health and wellbeing of the community and its residents, and that was neither an easy nor an inexpensive effort. It’s taken a lot of hard work to ensure the city would be reimbursed for the money they had to spend—from securing the funding to helping facilitate discussions among the various parties—but today, that work is paying off. I’m glad to see this issue being resolved, and I will continue doing what I can at the federal level to keep West Virginians and the communities they call home healthy and safe.”
 
As part of a continued effort to prevent future PFAS contamination and protect public health, Senator Capito earlier this week introduced two bipartisan PFAS-related bills: the Protect Drinking Water from PFAS Act of 2019, which would require the EPA to establish an enforceable standard under the Safe Drinking Water Act for PFAS in drinking water; and the PFAS Release Disclosure Act, which would provide a clear process for the EPA to identify and share with the public and policymakers sources of PFAS emissions.

BACKGROUND
 
In 2016, the EPA identified high levels of PFAS in the City of Martinsburg’s water supply. The EPA mandated the installation of additional water filtration systems at the Martinsburg Big Springs water treatment plant to address the issue on the threat of enforcement actions, potentially including shutdown of the facility. Firefighting foam used by the Air National Guard at the Eastern Regional Airport was revealed to be the source of the contamination.
 
Senator Capito’s efforts to help the City of Martinsburg have included several conversations with Air Force officials and leadership and legislation passed in the Senate through the National Defense Authorization Act. Those efforts culminated in securing language through her position on the Senate Appropriations Committee in the FY2019 Department of Defense Appropriations Act to reimburse the city of Martinsburg for the significant costs involved in upgrading Big Springs.

 

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