PFAS Press

Our series on the impact of the election on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) policy takes us to the Senate, where Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) indicated in a hearing that the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (which she will chair) will continue to pursue PFAS. Describing recent regulation of PFAS as “well intentioned” but flawed, Sen. Capito advocated for “regulatory approaches that balance scientific rigor with practical feasibility.” The incoming administration’s approach towards PFAS regulation is also reflected in President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of his emerging cabinet. For instance, Lee Zeldin, slated as next head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is known to have supported broad legislation to strengthen PFAS regulation. Further, as expected, we saw state regulators preparing to ramp up efforts to regulate PFAS themselves in anticipation of a less collaborative EPA under President-elect Trump. New Mexico, for instance, plans to file a lawsuit against the Agency if it fails to regulate PFAS under the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA), as the Biden administration proposed in response to a petition by the state.