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Cookware. Dental floss. Shampoo.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, can be found in these items and hundreds of other household products. Nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they don’t completely degrade, PFAS are resistant to heat, oil, grease and water. (One of the first uses of PFAS chemicals was as a nonstick agent in Teflon cookware in the 1940s.) But exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancer, liver damage and birth defects, among other health problems.
Worse yet, the chemicals have found their way into our showers, sinks, and glasses. a 2023 study detected PFAS in almost half of the country’s tap water. But there is good news: For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency is regulating PFAS. This month, the EPA announced it would require municipal water systems to permanently remove six chemicals from tap water.
Lisa Friedman, a climate reporter for the New York Times, wrote about the new rules. In a recent conversation, Friedman discussed the hectic month of climate news, what could hold up regulatory implementation, and how its pace has evolved over 15 years. This interview has been edited and condensed.
How important is this moment?
This is a really big deal. The EPA has finalized rules that will require certain PFAS chemicals to be reduced to near-zero levels in our drinking water. But PFAS chemicals are difficult to remove, and it will involve a costly process. This will be a real headache for water companies.
Last week, President Biden’s administration blocked a industrial road project in Alaska and announced its intention to extend two national monuments in California. Is there a reason why so many climate policy changes are happening in the United States right now?
Regulations on PFAS in tap water were first proposed last year, but there is an obscure law called the Congressional Review Act, which gives Congress at least 60 legislative days to reverse the new rules issued by federal agencies. If Republicans take control of the Senate and Donald Trump wins the presidency, the rules could easily be overturned.
Not knowing what will happen with the presidential election, many agencies may try to finalize the rules now, out of an abundance of caution.
The EPA said public water systems have three years to monitor their water for PFAS and an additional two years to install new technology if PFAS levels exceed standards. Given this time frame, could a possible Trump administration overturn these rules?
Absolutely. The caveat is that relaxing the rules does not happen overnight. If it takes time to impose a regulation, it often takes just as long to repeal it. A Trump administration, however, could take further steps to weaken regulations or slow their progress.
Many readers had strong reactions to the…
