The Trump administration is handing the chemical industry another win—gutting key PFAS protections and leaving millions exposed to toxic “forever chemicals.” Action Alert!
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THE TOPLINE
- The Trump administration’s EPA introduced a rule that weakens chemical safety evaluations by assessing only specific uses of toxic substances like PFAS, making it harder to regulate them comprehensively.
- Despite strong scientific evidence linking PFAS to cancer and other serious health issues, the new approach allows widespread exposure to continue, with 95 million Americans potentially drinking contaminated water.
- The rule change benefits the chemical industry by blocking stronger state regulations and exploiting loopholes in federal law, further delaying meaningful action against these persistent “forever chemicals.”
The battle to rein in PFAS contamination has taken yet another hit—this time from within the Trump administration’s EPA. In a troubling move, the agency recently submitted a new rule that would drastically weaken how toxic chemicals are evaluated, setting back efforts aimed at protecting Americans from dangerous substances like PFAS.
PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—are a group of more than 16,000 synthetic chemicals that have earned the nickname “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment. Found in everything from nonstick pans and waterproof jackets to food packaging, cosmetics, and even tea bags, PFAS are now nearly impossible to avoid. Even more concerning, PFAS exposure has been linked to cancer, liver and kidney disease, birth defects, immune system disruption, and developmental issues in children.
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence and mounting public concern, the Trump EPA continues to roll back protections meant to curb this widespread contamination. Earlier this year, the administration abruptly withdrew a long-awaited rule that would have set limits on PFAS discharges from chemical manufacturing plants—one of the most significant sources of water pollution from these toxic compounds.
Now, according to reporting from the UK’s Gates Foundation-supported, Guardian newspaper, the administration has introduced a new regulatory approach that makes matters worse. Under this revised framework, the EPA would assess the risks of chemicals only by their individual uses, rather than evaluating the full scope of harm posed by the chemical itself. Because PFAS—and many other dangerous chemicals—are often used in small quantities in any one product, this change allows the EPA to claim that most consumer goods containing PFAS do not pose an “unreasonable risk.”
This redefinition dramatically narrows the situations in which chemicals can be regulated—and that’s exactly the point. Worse still, if the EPA declares that a specific chemical does not pose an unreasonable risk under this new rule, states could be prohibited from passing their own laws to restrict it. In short: federal inaction becomes a weapon against state-level protections.
This is a critical point, as states have taken the lead in introducing and adopting legislation to regulate PFAS and other chemicals: in total, 35 states have introduced 208 policies to protect people from toxic chemicals. Industry has been pushing back, and now the EPA is helping them.
PFAS contamination is not an abstract or future threat—it is happening now. An estimated 95 million Americans have PFAS in their drinking water. These chemicals are accumulating in our bodies, poisoning wildlife, and polluting our land and waterways. Meanwhile, the EPA’s piecemeal strategy—treating each PFAS chemical as a separate case—has become a game of regulatory whack-a-mole. As one PFAS is flagged, industry simply switches to a slightly different version.
It’s clear this approach isn’t working. To protect ourselves and future generations, we must push for a full ban on PFAS as a class. Half-measures and technicalities will not solve a crisis of this magnitude. The science is in. The evidence is overwhelming. And yet, once again, political interests are interfering with urgently needed action.
It’s time to stop the chemical industry’s stranglehold on our safety—and demand the comprehensive protections we deserve.
Action Alert! Write to Congress and urge them to issue a ban on PFAS chemicals as a class. Please send your message immediately.
