WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $46,488,000 to communities across Ohio to address emerging contaminants, like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. This investment is made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Brown helped write and pass. Funding will be made available to communities as non-competitive grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program which aims to promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies. This funding will be made available through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
“PFAS contamination remains a growing concern for communities across the state and country and I’m glad to see EPA stepping up to address these hazardous substances,” said Brown. “Ohio communities shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinking water. This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help rural and disadvantaged communities access safe, clean drinking water.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. EPA announced the funds for Ohio as part of an allotment of $2 billion to states and territories that can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.