Changing Or Staying The Same? EPA Announces Actions To Combat PFAS Contamination

On April 28, 2025, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a list of actions EPA will take to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. It was unclear whether EPA under the new administration would deprioritize PFAS as part of an overall deregulatory agenda, but in the announcement, Administrator Zeldin asserted that EPA will continue to address PFAS contamination through scientific study, regulation, and enforcement.

Notably, EPA will designate an agency lead for PFAS "to better align and manage PFAS efforts across agency programs." The announcement also emphasizes that a "polluter pays model" will guide "a lot of the work to be done at EPA in the future." This "polluter pays" approach appears to be animated in part by a concern that public drinking water systems will face challenges in complying with the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations that went into effect last June for six PFAS compounds: