EPA’s Announcement on PFAS Contamination Poses More Questions than Answers
By: Waterkeeper Alliance
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin recently announced upcoming “agency actions to address per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS),” even as it moves to cancel PFAS research grants. Manufactured and discharged into the environment by corporate polluters with little to no oversight, the risks of PFAS on human health are well-documented—including cancer, liver and kidney damage, thyroid disorders, and immunosuppression in children. Despite extensive evidence of harm, Zeldin’s public statements have raised concern the agency will rollback existing PFAS regulations, leaving communities vulnerable and further eroding public trust in EPA’s commitment to environmental protection.
A multi-phase PFAS monitoring program by Waterkeeper Alliance has revealed widespread contamination in U.S. waterways. In 2022, the organization released a report based on samples collected by more than 100 local Waterkeeper groups, finding PFAS in 83% of 114 tested rivers, lakes, and streams—often at dangerously high levels. The second phase of sampling, recently completed and currently being compiled into a report for release this summer, focused on sites near wastewater treatment plants and sludge application fields. The findings clearly show that PFAS pollution is pervasive, underscoring the need for stronger regulations, expanded research, increased funding, and more effective treatment technologies, especially in communities already facing dispropriationate impacts.
Additionally, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that PFAS are present in at least 45% of the nation’s tap water. EPA itself estimates that current national drinking water protections would reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people in the U.S., preventing thousands of deaths and reducing tens of thousands of serious illnesses. In stark contrast, stalling progress on important PFAS-related initiatives and weakening drinking water protections will put countless lives at risk.
In response, Marc Yaggi, Chief Executive Officer of Waterkeeper Alliance, released the following statement:
“Administrator Zeldin has an opportunity to show real leadership by taking strong action to keep PFAS out of our drinking water. Any delay, loophole, or step backward puts people’s health on the line—especially in communities already overburdened by pollution. We’re concerned by signals that protections could be weakened at a time when we need them most. This is a chance to put America’s health first and ensure that corporate polluters, not the public, pay for the damage PFAS has caused.”