Pappas, Shaheen Urge USDA to Support Income Tax Exclusion for NH’s PFAS Rebate Program

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (NH-01) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging the Department to support the State of New Hampshire’s request to exclude payments from the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Rebate Program from income taxes, ensuringGranite Staters do not have to pay more out-of-pocket costs to address drinking water contamination.

In part, Shaheen and Pappas wrote, “Nearly half of New Hampshire residents get their water supply at home from private wells. PFAS have increasingly been discovered in wells across New Hampshire and these “forever chemicals” in the water supply pose a significant risk to people’s health and well-being. […] Programs like the PFAS Rebate Program are imperative to ensure clean drinking water is accessible to everyone.” 

“We are concerned that access to clean, safe drinking water could be negatively impacted if recipients are prevented from accessing the full financial assistance offered by the rebates. As the Environmental Protection Agency finalizes national drinking water standards for PFAS, more of our constituents may learn about and take advantage of the PFAS Rebate Program. The current tax treatment of these payments risks limiting future participants’ access to clean drinking water and jeopardizing the health of even more New Hampshire families,” they continued.

The full text of the letter can be found here. 

Pappas has been a leader in addressing PFAS and fighting for better standards, increased investment, and a stronger national focus on the issue of PFAS contamination. Pappas introduced the No Taxation on PFAS Remediation Act, which would remove federal taxes on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination reimbursements. He has also introduced the Clean Water Standards for PFAS 2.0 Act, which would further regulate PFAS by setting deadlines for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop water quality criteria and limits on industrial PFAS discharges into water and to water treatment plants. Heeding Pappas’s call, the Biden Administration announced it was establishing enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels for certain PFAS chemicals in drinking water.