# Plain Language Summary: Contaminated Wells Relocation Act

The Town of Chincoteague, Virginia has a problem with drinking water wells that are located on property owned by NASA. These wells have become contaminated and need to be removed and replaced with new ones on land that the town controls. This bill gives NASA the authority to pay for the costs of fixing this problem.

Specifically, NASA can enter into an agreement with Chincoteague to cover the expenses of planning and executing the removal of three contaminated wells currently sitting on NASA property, as well as building new replacement wells on land the town owns or leases. The bill allows NASA to reimburse the town for all the direct costs involved—including purchasing or leasing new property, engineering and design work, getting the necessary permits, and construction. This arrangement can last for up to five years.

The bill requires NASA to work out a detailed agreement with the town that spells out exactly where the new wells will be located, what the project will cost, and how it will be carried out. Within 18 months of the bill becoming law, NASA must report the final agreement to Congress so lawmakers know how the money is being spent. For residents of Chincoteague, this means the federal government is stepping in to help pay for a necessary water infrastructure fix rather than leaving the town to cover the full cost themselves.

Contaminated Wells Relocation Act

Kiggans, Jennifer A.

Contaminated Wells Relocation ActThis bill permits the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to enter into an agreement to reimburse the town of Chincoteague, Virginia for costs directly associated with the removal and relocation of drinking water wells currently situated on NASA property. &nbsp;(Drinking water wells located at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility near Chincoteague have tested positive for perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, resulting from the use of certain firefighting foams at the site beginning in the 1970s. NASA currently operates a water treatment system to remove PFAS from the affected water supply.)&nbsp;Any such agreement must include, to the extent practicable, (1) a provision for the removal and relocation of the wells remaining on NASA property, (2) a description of the location to which the wells are planned to be relocated, and (3) a current cost estimate of such relocation. Replacement wells must be established on property under the administrative control of the town of Chincoteague.&nbsp;