For centuries, applied science has been busy creating new products to solve problems and make life easier for modern humans. Unfortunately, in this century many products were made of chemicals now referred to as “forever chemicals,” or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These long-chain carbon molecules are associated with infertility and kidney and liver cancers, among other problems. PFAS molecules break down slowly and last a very long time in the environment.
To protect trade secrets and growing profits, the US government has often allowed PFAS chemicals on the market with limited pre-market review. Because of this, the whole world has become a testing ground, and every human, animal, plant, and insect, a test subject.
New Jersey has its own share of the burden: A 2021 state investigation found PFAS exceeding safety limits in 34 New Jersey drinking water systems, threatening the health of 500,000 people. However, additional reports indicate the problem is much more widespread. PFAS has now been detected in hundreds of water systems statewide. DuPont/Chemours and 3M were among the earliest and most prolific manufacturers of PFAS, and companies including Honeywell and Saint-Gobain are also involved in PFAS production or distribution.
Some of the PFAS-containing products you may be familiar with include Teflon, Tyvek, and Gore-Tex. Studies indicate workers in factories producing PFAS-containing products may be more exposed to risks of certain cancers, such as prostate and liver cancers, than the general public.
Regulatory Help?
Awareness of PFAS problems and advocacy for cleanup and safer practices have been building momentum. In 2022, 60 organizations including the Sierra Club published an open letter asking the Biden administration to reduce PFAS contamination by federal agencies and to implement other measures to protect the public. This helped to support federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actions to regulate PFAS contamination.
The EPA in the early 2020s created a “Strategic Roadmap” for coordinating actions and holding PFAS polluters responsible. In 2024, it designated two PFAS subcategories, PFOA and PFOS, as hazardous substances under the Superfund law.
Also in 2024, the EPA created the first nationally enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS. These were stricter than New Jersey’s.
However, rollbacks during the Trump administration have threatened the success of these efforts.
The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act delayed the military’s transition away from PFAS-containing firefighting foam. It also reversed the ban on procuring PFAS-containing products, and it reopened the door to disposal practices that spread PFAS via the air.
Meanwhile, the EPA has sought to roll back certain protections against PFAS chemicals that were established in 2024. It kept the legally enforceable maximum contaminant standards for PFOA and PFOS, but it has proposed extending compliance deadlines for water systems until 2031.
It also announced plans to rescind drinking water standards for several other PFAS categories: PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO‑DA (GenX), and PFBS. This would be a lengthy process, though, and would be followed, if successful, by another rulemaking process to decide whether and how to regulate PFAS under a revised framework.
This has put current EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who began his term concurrently with President Trump, under the spotlight. The EPA has sought to balance PFAS protections against the feasibility of carrying them out. For example, deadlines for public water systems to implement PFAS protections were considered too ambitious. This has been a disappointment to environmental advocates.