Environmental Champions Challenge Trump Administration’s Proposal to Ease PFAS Regulations

NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson has joined with the attorneys general of 14 other states in signing a comment letter challenging the Trump Administration’s proposal to ease regulations on how businesses report their use of toxic chemical compounds that can cause long-lasting water and soil contamination. 

The comment letter was submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the record on EPA’s proposal announced in November to weaken reporting requirements on products known to contain PFAS. “This data is necessary for EPA to evaluate and manage the risks associated with PFAS exposure and to prevent harm to human health and the environment,” said the attorneys general representing 15 states in their Dec. 22 comment letter. “EPA fails to provide a reasoned explanation for its sudden reversal and ignores the substantial body of reliable scientific research showing the importance of collecting this data.” 

Hiding PFAS From The Public

“North Carolinians should be able to get straightforward information about how much and what kinds of PFAS are in the products we buy,” said Attorney General Jackson in a news release. “The EPA shouldn’t be helping companies hide what kinds of toxic chemicals they’re using. We know what PFAS damage looks like in North Carolina, and we need these companies to be more responsible.” 

Jackson continued, “Just months away from receiving data from PFAS manufacturers about the type and amount of PFAS chemicals in their products, EPA is now trying to hide the use of PFAS from the public.”

What Are PFAS?

A.G. Jackson’s news release noted, “PFAS are a group of thousands of manmade chemicals that have been used in numerous consumer products since the 1940s, including clothing, non-stick cookware, food packaging, and car seats and strollers. Some manufacturers spent decades hiding that their PFAS were toxic and contaminated human blood. State and federal regulators are still uncovering the chemicals in our everyday household items. PFAS are known to cause harm including increased risk of kidney, breast, pancreas, prostate, and testicular cancers, liver damage, decreased birth weight and birth defects, decreased vaccine response, high cholesterol, and infertility.”

The other 14 Attorneys General co-signing the comment letter to EPA represent California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.