Help Urge EPA to Deliver Real Action on PFAS Contamination
By: Thomas Hynes
U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin recently announced “agency actions” to address PFAS, or forever chemicals. While he claims to support the “polluter pays principle,” his actions—such as canceling PFAS research grants—fail to match his words. It’s time for Zeldin to listen to the communities suffering from PFAS pollution and protect people from industrial polluters.
Will you join us in demanding Zeldin back up his words with real action?
PFAS pose a grave risk to public health. They are linked to increased incidence of cancer, liver and kidney disease, reproductive issues, immunodeficiencies, and hormonal disruptions. They are called “forever chemicals” for a reason. Some compounds can take over 1,000 years to degrade. This means that once PFAS get into the ecosystem, they present a danger to humans and wildlife for a very long time.
Tragically, an estimated 97% of individuals in the United States have been exposed to PFAS. Waterkeeper Alliance’s 2022 report found dangerously high levels of PFAS in 83% of 114 tested rivers, lakes, and streams, while the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the toxic compounds 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.
The problems with PFAS are clear. What’s murky is what EPA plans to do about it.
Zeldin said he wants to work on PFAS to “ensure Americans have the cleanest air, land, and water.” Yet, this seems to contradict the agency’s recent actions where tens of millions of dollars in research grants to scientists to prevent PFAS accumulation in the food chain were cut.
It’s time 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 disproportionately impacted by pollution. These protections must not be weakened at a time when we need them most. This is a chance for EPA to put America’s health first and ensure that polluters, not the public, pay for the damage PFAS has caused.
We don’t need empty statements. We need real, community-led solutions to controlling PFAS pollution, and we need it urgently.
Tell Zeldin to back up his words with action by protecting our communities and waterways from PFAS!