The Trump administration says it will defend a Biden era-rule that is expected to keep polluters on the hook to clean up toxic “forever chemicals.”
The rule in question designated two types of these chemicals as “hazardous substances,” giving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more authority to clean up their contamination and require polluters to pay for it.
In a court filing on Wednesday, lawyers for the Justice Department said that the EPA “has reviewed the underlying rule and has decided to keep the Rule in place.”
The filing did not explain the decision to do so.
The move was surprising to some given other administration policies that loosen rules for toxic chemicals in favor of industry. The New York Times recently reported that a senior official had recommended scrapping the Biden-era rule.
“Forever chemicals,” however, have become a major and pervasive problem across the U.S. — contaminating a large number of waterways and found to be in the bloodstream of virtually every American.
They’ve also come under particular scrutiny from the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, with which the Trump administration is aligned. And Long Island, which EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin previously represented in Congress, has had its share of related issues.
“Forever chemicals” are the nickname of a family of thousands of compounds known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
These chemicals can have nonstick, fire-resistant and waterproof properties that have made them useful in numerous military, technological and consumer applications. Some of the most notable include nonstick pans and firefighting foam.
Their industrial, military and other uses have led to the contamination of sites around the country. The EPA rule in question deals with just two of the substances, known as PFOA and PFOS.
Exposure to PFAS has been linked to increased risks of prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers as well as immune system issues and decreased fertility.
