Environment
“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”
Pennsylvania Constitution, Article 1, Section 27
Rep. Dean believes that the protection of our planet and environmental stewardship are some of government’s core responsibilities. She values our natural spaces and supports efforts to preserve vulnerable species. She also recognizes that environmental considerations are deeply entwined in other areas of policy – including public health, the economy, and our national defense.
Climate Change
In Congress, Rep. Dean supports legislation to boost America’s investments in renewable energy, fund green infrastructure, and reengage in global agreements to combat climate change. She is also a leading voice in the fight for a stronger, better-funded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Rep. Dean is proud to cosponsor H.R. 9 – the Climate Action Now Act – which passed the House in May, 2019. This legislation would keep the United States in the Paris Agreement and require the President to develop a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28%.
Clean Water
Finally, Rep. Dean seeks to ensure that everyone has clean water – a fundamental human right. More specifically, she is working to combat the spread of per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which affect the drinking water supplies of millions of Americans.
Rep. Dean is a proud founding member of the PFAS Task Force – a bipartisan group working to combat water contamination through legislative solutions. In this vein, Rep. Dean led a bipartisan letter of more than a dozen Members of Congress to fully fund a nationwide study on the impact of PFAS contamination in Fiscal Year 2020 – and get our communities the answers they need to make informed decisions about their health and water quality.
More on Environment
Blue Bell, PA – Last night, Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04) hosted her very first drive-in town hall at the Montgomery County Community College’s Blue Bell Campus. The drive-in town hall was an opportunity for constituents to safely connect with Congresswoman Dean. Topics included the COVID-19 relief and vaccine, the opioid crisis, climate change, the economy, and more.
WASHINGTON – Rep. Dean introduced the bipartisan PFAS Free Foam Research and Development Act, in order to find an alternative to PFAS contaminated firefighting foam.
"Tackling our local – and national – water contamination problem is one of my highest priorities,” Rep. Dean said. “Finding an alternative to PFAS contaminated firefighting foam is vital – no one should be exposed to these harmful forever chemicals."
WASHINGTON D.C. — Tonight, House Democrats passed H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, a comprehensive desperately needed infrastructure package that will invest more than $1.5 trillion to rebuild America’s infrastructure while creating millions of good-paying jobs throughout the nation.
Glenside, PA — Last Week, Rep. Dean released her public comments on the EPA's Preliminary Regulatory Determinations Report of February 2020.
LOWER MERION, PA – On Monday, February 3, Rep. Dean hosted the first Town Hall of the new year at the Cynwyd Club in Lower Merion Township. Joined by over 160 constituents, Rep. Dean discussed gun violence prevention, the student debt crisis, climate change and impeachment – and the issues Democrats would be focused on in 2020 like infrastructure, healthcare, and climate change.
Glenside, PA – On Sunday, January 26, Rep. Madeleine Dean hosted constituents and activists for an exclusive screening of Dark Waters, a film centered on Attorney Rob Bilott’s pursuit of justice for a West Virginia town effected by PFAS/PFOA water contamination. Following the screening, a public roundtable discussed the imminent threat of PFAS and the necessary steps to combat this national health crisis.
JENKINTOWN, PA – Today, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a PFAS contamination report, sharing the results of tap water tested for PFAS levels in drinking water. Testing took place in 44 locations across 31 states and the District of Columbia.
Out of the sample group, Philadelphia ranked 6th highest among the metropolitan areas with PFAS water contamination at a rate of 46.3 parts per trillion (ppt).
WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04) celebrated the House's passage of the PFAS Action Act (H.R. 535), a sweeping set of health and environmental reforms designed to tackle America's PFAS water contamination challenge. The legislation passed by a vote of 247-159 and will now head to Senate for consideration.
JENKINTOWN, PA – Today, Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04) announced that the Air Force has disbursed $2.8 million in funds that will allow Horsham Air Guard Station (formerly Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove) to partner with the Warminster Municipal Authority to build a permanent containment and filtration system for PFAS-contaminated surface water.