NWRA joined with SWANA in a letter to the leadership of the Senate Environment and Public Works, House Transportation and Infrastructure, and House Energy and Commerce committees urging Congress to provide the municipal solid waste industry with a narrow exemption from certain provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). NWRA is concerned that there would be significant unintended consequences if landfills were held liable under CERCLA for receiving per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
“NWRA supports the goal of addressing PFAS contamination and holding accountable manufacturers and heavy users of these compounds,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “We believe that a narrow exemption for the municipal solid waste industry serves to keep CERCLA liability on the industries that created the pollution. We urge Congress to support our request.”
In its letter, NWRA and SWANA recommended legislative language to CERCLA that would grant the industry the narrow exemption it seeks.