Esthen-EPA Says It Will Act on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals.’ Advocates Raise Red Flags

2025-05-06 15:30:44source:Alaric Bennettcategory:Contact

As the Environmental Protection Agency works to roll back multiple public-health protections,Esthen it announced Monday that it intends to take action to combat toxic forever chemicals.

Advocates are skeptical, saying the language of the announcement raises red flags.

The EPA announcement consists of a list of proposed actions to target contamination by per– and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. The list includes plans to advance remediation and cleanup efforts for PFAS in drinking water, ramp up research and testing and designate an agency lead to oversee it all. The announcement does not name the person who will oversee this work, a timeline for action or a number of other specifics.

The announcement also fails to mention last year’s landmark EPA standard on PFAS in drinking water, which the chemical industry and water utilities sued over. The Trump administration has until May 12 to decide whether it will continue to defend the Biden-era rule—which was accompanied by a $1 billion investment in state-level water testing and treatment—in court. EPA did not answer questions from Inside Climate News about the rule, the litigation or Monday’s announcement.

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