The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discusses its strategy for tackling PFAS contamination in the US, from strengthening regulation and protecting drinking water to advancing treatment technologies and reducing future pollution
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become one of the most significant environmental and public health challenges facing the United States. Often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they break down extremely slowly, PFAS have been used for decades in products ranging from non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing to firefighting foams and industrial manufacturing. Their persistence means they can accumulate in soil, groundwater, rivers, and drinking water supplies, creating long-term environmental and human health concerns.
Growing scientific evidence has linked exposure to certain PFAS compounds with a range of potential health effects, including increased cholesterol levels, reduced immune response, developmental impacts, and a higher risk of some cancers. As testing has expanded, PFAS contamination in the US has been detected in thousands of communities, placing increasing pressure on federal and state agencies to strengthen monitoring, improve water treatment, and hold polluters accountable.
Responding to this challenge requires more than removing existing contamination. It also demands effective regulation, investment in new treatment technologies, and strategies to prevent further releases into the environment. With billions of dollars committed to improving water infrastructure and growing public awareness of the issue, the US is entering a critical period in its efforts to address PFAS contamination.
In this exclusive interview, the EPA discusses its approach to protecting public health, strengthening regulation, advancing new technologies, and supporting communities affected by PFAS contamination in the US.
EPA has emphasised the importance of creating PFAS regulations that are both health-protective and legally durable. How does the agency balance the need for timely action with the goal of establishing standards that can withstand legal scrutiny, particularly when giving some water systems additional time to comply with PFOA and PFOS requirements?
Every action the Trump EPA takes follows the law. This ensures durability and avoids unnecessary legal setbacks. Regarding the agency’s recent PFAS announcements, EPA issued two proposed rules for public comment. The first, if finalised, would uphold the National Primary Drinking Water Standards for PFOA and PFOS while proposing to enhance practical implementation. The second would correct the Biden-Harris Administration’s failure to follow the clear requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act in promulgating regulations for four other PFAS. After issuing a final action to rescind, the agency will deliver on its commitment to evaluate these PFAS for regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
By taking control of the timing and process, the Trump Administration is moving faster as opposed to waiting for an extended court case to play out. We are ensuring that federal regulations are legally sound and will stand the test of time. The Trump Administration will get it right by following the law, supporting transparency, and applying gold-standard science.
EPA has proposed revisiting certain PFAS regulations through a new rulemaking process and has said that could potentially lead to even more stringent standards. What opportunities does this process create to strengthen both the scientific and legal foundations of future PFAS regulations?
While the agency cannot predetermine the outcome of its proposed recission rule or potential future regulatory process, it is a simple fact that the science on PFAS has continued to evolve since the agency’s 2024 final rule, and any future regulatory action would account for the best available science at that time.
A key theme of the strategy is ensuring that polluters bear responsibility for contamination while also reducing PFAS at the source. Where do you see the greatest opportunity for long-term progress: stronger accountability for polluters, tighter controls on industrial discharges, or preventing PFAS from entering the environment in the first place?
The Trump EPA is committed to reducing human exposure to PFAS shown to be harmful to human health. The most cost-effective way to address PFAS contamination is to ensure it never makes its way into the environment. These actions show that EPA is delivering real solutions to reduce PFAS exposure for all Americans.
At the same time, the PFAS that most threatens human health is already in the environment, and the Trump EPA is working to address it. EPA is investigating PFAS contamination and developing enforcement actions to address PFAS contamination from major manufacturers, federal facilities, and other industrial parties. By retaining the CERCLA hazardous substance designation rule for PFOA and PFOS, the agency is committed to holding polluters, rather than passive receivers, accountable for contamination consistent with the polluter-pays principle.
In addition, the PFAS Destruction and Disposal Guidance encourages the use of technologies that have a lower potential for releasing PFAS to the environment based on site specific conditions, to protect human health and the environment. However, EPA does not endorse one technology over another. EPA encourages technology developers and researchers to generate and publicly release data to close current gaps.
As EPA continues to learn more about the thousands of PFAS compounds in commerce and the environment, how is the agency thinking about staying ahead of emerging chemicals while maintaining a science-based regulatory approach?
EPA reviews all new chemicals before they can enter the market, regardless of their chemistry, under TSCA’s rigorous, science-based process. The agency also puts requirements in place to protect consumers, workers, communities, and the environment from any potential risks. EPA’s review of new chemicals helps the agency stay ahead of emerging PFAS by flagging PFAS-like chemistries early and requiring a robust, science-based review before they could potentially reach the market. And, if a chemical doesn’t meet the legally required safety standard, the agency will either require restrictions to ensure its safe use or won’t approve its use.
We pair these reviews with modern nonanimal new approach methodologies (NAMs), including high-throughput screening, read-across, and human-relevant in vitro and computational tools, to rapidly identify potential hazards and exposure pathways to ensure safe manufacturing, use and disposal. This fit-for-purpose approach aligns with the law and gold standard science, keeps Americans safe from potentially dangerous chemicals, and gives businesses clear, predictable rules. That regulatory certainty helps companies invest with confidence, bring safer innovations to market faster, support good jobs, and strengthen the US economy.
The statutory authorities provided by Congress provide a clear system for EPA to regulate additional contaminants as appropriate. For example, the Safe Drinking Water Act includes a prescriptive process for identifying unregulated contaminants of concerns, monitoring for these contaminants to determine if they are found in drinking water, determining whether to regulate any contaminant, developing regulations, and reviewing existing regulations. Learn more about the Safe Drinking Water Act Evaluation and Rulemaking Process.
EPA is investing heavily in new treatment and destruction technologies. Which advances are you most excited about, and where do you see the greatest potential for innovation over the next decade?
Keeping Americans safe from PFAS chemicals is a top priority and part of the Trump EPA’s unwavering commitment to Make America Healthy Again. The Trump EPA is ensuring PFAS wastes are managed using the latest, gold-standard scientific understanding of methods to dispose of and destroy PFAS contamination by updating the PFAS Disposal and Destruction guidance more frequently – moving from every three years to updating it annually. EPA looks forward to other government, academic, and private institutions continuing to conduct robust research to better understand PFAS destruction and develop innovative disposal methods. Federal entities and companies are also simultaneously developing and testing new PFAS destruction and disposal technologies. EPA encourages technology developers and researchers to generate and publicly release data consistent with the tenets of gold standard science.
There have been major advances in PFAS treatment and destruction technologies, and we are especially encouraged by the potential of microbial degradation. These approaches use microorganisms to break the carbon–fluorine (C–F) bonds in PFAS, thereby destroying these compounds. If this performance can be replicated in the field, it would be a paradigm shift. Because biological processes operate at ambient conditions, they could reduce energy use and operating costs compared with other destruction methods and may be applied in situ in soils and groundwater, minimising excavation, transport, and cross‑media transfers.
EPA is very excited about new destruction technologies that can take the “forever” out of “forever chemicals.” The agency is developing strategies to support private sector development of innovative technologies, including processes that use heat, ultraviolet light, electrochemical oxidation, and more. We see great potential in the destruction technologies, especially as costs fall by scaling up or otherwise improving efficiency.
With billions of dollars being invested in PFAS mitigation and water infrastructure, how will EPA evaluate whether those investments are delivering meaningful benefits for communities and public health?
Exposure to PFAS, specifically PFOA and PFOS, has been linked to various negative health impacts. Reducing exposure is critical to Making America Healthy Again. EPA’s goal is to reduce public exposure to these chemicals and have zero systems out of compliance with federal drinking water standards and standards set by states.
If we were having this conversation ten years from now, what achievements would make you feel that the United States had made real progress in addressing PFAS contamination?
EPA, under the Trump Administration, is taking a holistic approach to tackling PFAS. We recently announced a comprehensive strategy to address PFAS in drinking water through funding, technical assistance, and regulatory programs. We are ensuring the federal regulations are legally sound and will stand the test of time. We are exploring destruction technologies that take the forever out of forever chemicals. We are taking proactive action to engage water systems and connect them to the technical, engineering, and financial support that they need. We are not only providing federal funding to states, but we are also working with states to get funding to water systems that are grappling with PFAS challenges.
The agency is also providing information on resources available through PFAS OUTreach, also known as PFAS OUT. It’s an initiative that is proactively working with communities and drinking water systems to reduce exposure to PFOA and PFOS. EPA will directly engage with thousands of drinking water systems nationwide that have known challenges with PFOA and PFOS so every system, regardless of size, has a realistic path to compliance.
Already, these are huge wins that will stand the test of time to keep Americans safe from PFAS decades from now.
