WASHINGTON – Efforts by some Republicans to shut down the federal government could delay progress on addressing the contamination crisis caused by the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
A prolonged government shutdown could jeopardize Environmental Protection Agency efforts to finalize national drinking water standards for six PFAS by the end of 2023.
“Extremists in Congress are putting their ideological agenda ahead of our public health,” said Scott Faber, Environmental Working Group senior vice president for government affairs.
Other PFAS-related actions that will be delayed by a government shutdown include setting new limits on industrial discharges of PFAS and cleaning up Defense Department installations.
“Congress’s failure to fund the government has real consequences for people in every congressional district in the country,” said John Reeder, EWG vice president for federal affairs.
Lawmakers remain divided over funding plans for the government, in part due to a push by some Republicans to force a shutdown. Without an agreement, the shutdown will take effect on October 1, affecting the DOD, the EPA and the rest of the federal government.
Federal agencies have already fallen behind on many action milestones promised under the Biden administration’s government-wide plan, released in October 2021, to tackle PFAS.
EWG’s Federal PFAS Report Card, which tracks the administration’s implementation of its PFAS agenda at the DOD, the EPA and other agencies, finds that almost 40 percent of the planned actions slated for completion, or 25 out of 65, are overdue or only partly fulfilled.
Overdue or incomplete actions include assessing the PFAS threat from air emissions, the requirement that companies test the safety of chemical compounds already in use, and efforts to control “upstream” industrial discharges of PFAS that threaten community drinking water supplies, as well as freshwater fish and wildlife.
Beyond the backlog of the 25 overdue or partially complete PFAS actions, federal agencies have deadlines looming for 15 other actions, all of which are scheduled for completion before the end of 2023.
“It is crucial that these deadlines be kept. Communities have waited decades for action. A government shutdown threatens its capacity to meet these deadlines,” Reeder said.
PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they are among the most persistent toxic compounds in existence, contaminating everything from drinking water to food, food packaging and personal care products. They never break down in the environment, and they build up in people.
PFAS are toxic at very low levels and have been linked to serious health problems, including increased risk of cancer and harm to the reproductive and immune systems.
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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
