Michael Schmidt|EPA Says It Will Act on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals.’ Advocates Raise Red Flags

2025-05-05 15:47:46source:Roland Prestoncategory:Finance

As the Environmental Protection Agency works to roll back multiple public-health protections,Michael Schmidt 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.

We’re hiring!

Please take a look at the new openings in our newsroom.

See jobs

More:Finance

Recommend

Drone operators worry that anxiety over mystery sightings will lead to new restrictions

Drones for commercial and recreational use have grown rapidly in popularity, despite restrictions on

Who is Nick Sorensen? NFL, coaching resume for new San Francisco 49ers coordinator

The San Francisco 49ers have filled their vacant defensive coordinator position for the 2024 NFL sea

How Apache Stronghold’s fight to protect Oak Flat in central Arizona has played out over the years

PHOENIX (AP) — Oak Flat, a piece of national forest land in central Arizona, is at the heart of a ye