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Monica Amarelo

@monicaamarelo.bsky.social
922 followers 665 following 283 posts

Comms for the Environmental Working Group (@ewgofficial.bsky.social). Posting about toxic chemicals like #PFAS, clean water, the environment and health. Views are my own. She/Her www.ewg.org

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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Gov. Newsom signed #AB1603 into law. It requires California to track and publicly disclose where #PFASpesticides are being sprayed on crops. About 2.5 million pounds of #PFAS pesticides are applied to California crops every year. Now we'll finally know the full picture www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
Newsom signs landmark bill to track and disclose PFAS pesticide use in California
SACRAMENTO – Gov.
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
TODAY at 2 p.m.: Toxics Off the Table rally at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial on Capitol Hill. The #FRESHAct would erase hundreds of state #food safety laws and let food companies approve their own chemicals. Speakers: Ken Cook, Sen. Ed Markey, Chef Andrew Zimmern + more www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
Toxics off the table rally: Join EWG to protect state food safety laws
WASHINGTON – The “FRESH Act” sounds healthy, but it is not.
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The United Nations just confirmed it: toxic #PFAS #ForeverChemicals constitutes a global human rights crisis. The UN is calling for a legally binding global strategy to phase out non-essential PFAS uses. EWG (@ewgofficial.bsky.social) stands with that call. www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
EWG statement on UN confirming PFAS contamination is a global human rights crisis
WASHINGTON – The United Nations Human Rights Council today presented
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GENeva Environment Network @genevaenvironmentnetwork.org · 14/09/2026
Sharing experiences of #PFAS contamination in Cape Fear, Emily Donovan of @cleancapefear.bsky.social highlights that the science the community has is "out of necessity", not because polluters shared their science with the public, but because victims and researchers have demanded for it.
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Henrik Hindby Koszyczarek @henrikhindby.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A survey shows that nearly all of the 10 biggest manufacturers of Pfas have plans to increase production at sites in Europe, Asia and North America. The reason? Increased demand from AI-datacentres. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘Tidal wave’ of Pfas being launched to satisfy AI industry, campaigners warn
Big manufacturers planning to produce more of the forever chemicals to meet demand from datacentres
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Julia Musto @juliaelenamusto.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
www.brown.edu/news/2026-09...
brown.edu
Study: Young military veterans have higher ‘forever chemical’ levels than non-veterans
A study led by Brown University researchers provides evidence that younger military veterans should consider getting screened for elevated PFAS levels and related health conditions.
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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
and now we know that young military veterans have higher ‘forever chemical’ levels than non-veterans. Thank you for your service doi.org/10.1021/EHP....
doi.org
Serum PFAS Concentrations Among US Veterans, NHANES 2003–2018
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of >12,000 chemicals used in commerce and industry. For Veterans, sources of contamination could
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Global Toxics & Human Rights Project @srtoxics.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
#HRC63 #PFAS: A new report on #ForeverChemicals & #Human Rights was presented by the new UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics in Geneva, calling for urgent action to prevent #PFAS pollution, including an immediate ban on all non-essential uses of PFAS. See more: bit.ly/4xT8ufY
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
EWG (@ewgofficial.bsky.social) reviewed menus from 12 major #FastFood chains for chemicals of concern. Almost every menu had at least one. #McDonald's had the most. #Chipotle was the only one with none. Fast food companies don't have to tell you what's in your meal. www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
Most fast food chains have concerning chemicals on the menu
When you’re trying to decide what to get at your favorite fast food spot, it can be hard to know exactly what you’re eating – including whether it’s made with potentially harmful in
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
#Parents change #diapers up to 8,000 times. Yet no federal law requires makers to disclose what's inside them. The California legislature just fixed that. Hilary Swank helped push #AB1901 over the finish line. It now goes to @gavinnewsom.bsky.social for a signature. www.cnn.com/2026/08/28/h...
cnn.com
A California bill backed by Hilary Swank targets hidden toxins in baby diapers | CNN
Diapers may contain potentially toxic chemicals. A new California bill backed by actor Hilary Swank would require manufacturers to tell caregivers what those are.
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Dollar Tree - 8,000+ stores - pledged to phase out #PFAS from its food packaging, children's products and cleaning supplies by 2027. This didn't happen by accident. State chemical safety laws pushed them here. Here's what it means for shoppers: www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
Thanks to state laws, Dollar Tree is pledging to remove ‘forever chemicals’ from its shelves
If you’ve ever wondered whether state chemical safety laws actually change what ends up on store shelves, Dollar Tree just answered: yes – and faster than consumers might think
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Clean Water Action Massachusetts @cleanh2oma.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
As the MA Legislature fails to pass a bill to restrict toxic PFAS, there are nightmare levels of PFAS being found just over our borders in Tiverton, RI. This is the human cost of inaction on PFAS. RI took legislative action to stop further damage. Why hasn't MA? www.heraldnews.com/story/news/e...
heraldnews.com
Tiverton wells have 'nightmare' levels of 'forever chemical' contamination
One of the wells showed the highest levels of PFAS ever seen in a private well in the state.
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IPEN: toxics-free @toxicsfree.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Painted building surfaces may be a hidden long-term source of PFAS pollution, Chemistry World reports. Researchers warn existing architectural coatings could slowly release PFAS into surrounding ecosystems for decades. 🔗 Read more: ow.ly/G35z50ZA9ze
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
A bill moving through Congress would let food companies greenlight their own chemicals, and wipe out state food safety protections in all 50 states. EWG @ewgofficial.bsky.social is rallying in DC on Sept. 15. Speakers include Chef Andrew Zimmern and Rep. Frank Pallone. www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
Toxics off the table! rally: Join EWG to protect state food safety laws
The “FRESH Act” sounds healthy, but it is not.
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Banned in 70+ countries. Linked to #Parkinson's disease. Responsible for a toxic spill that locked down 600 California residents this spring. California is finally phasing out #paraquat. Vermont already banned it. The rest of the country needs to catch up. www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
EWG applauds California’s phase-out of toxic herbicide linked to Parkinson’s and other diseases
SACRAMENTO – The Environmental Working Group today applauded the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s
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Jack Mirkinson @jackmirkinson.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Today in @thenation.com: a harrowing piece written from inside the Dilley ICE detention center by Maryam Tahmasebi, a green card holder who's been locked up along with her husband and son for months despite none of them committing any crime. www.thenation.com/article/soci...
thenation.com
One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention
My husband, son, and I have been locked up for months—despite being permanent residents with no criminal record. It is an unendurable, unending nightmare.
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Nearly 99% of new food chemicals added to commerce since 2000 were approved by industry, not the @fda.gov. That's the #GRAS loophole. FDA just proposed to amend it. EWG says: notification is step one What's needed is independent review BEFORE chemicals reach our food. www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
EWG statement on FDA’s new GRAS proposal
WASHINGTON – Today the Food and Drug Administration proposed a new rule to amend
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Center for Biological Diversity @biologicaldiversity.org · 24/07/2026
Last year, the nonprofit EWG found that 2.5 million pounds of #PFAS #pesticides are sprayed into #California crops fields annually. The persistent spraying of pesticides in our food is concerning to Donley, who said, “Whatever we put into our environment today will be lurking around forever.”
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Sharon Udasin @sharonudasin.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Part 2 in a series of timely #PFAS explainers: this one exploring the toxic legacy of AFFF, a foam long used to fight jet fuel-based fires. Great working with Andrea Gerlak of the @uarizona.bsky.social's Udall Center! earth.org/decades-of-u...
earth.org
How PFAS-Based Firefighting Foam Left Behind a Toxic Legacy | Earth.Org
As states ban toxic AFFF firefighting foams, federal delays and lingering contamination leave local communities waiting years for a fix.
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Rachael Myrow @rachaelmyrow.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I'll talk with @ewgprez.bsky.social ( @ewgofficial.bsky.social ), Sarah Vogel ( @envdefensefund.bsky.social ) and Dr. Craig Spencer ( @brownpublichealth.bsky.social ) about the science, the politics, and the limits of what we can do on our own.
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Rachael Myrow @rachaelmyrow.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
You know what to do and when to do it! next.kqed.org/forum/201010...
next.kqed.org
Trump Administration Backs Off Regulating Environmental Toxins Despite MAHA Demands | KQED
We'll talk about efforts to regulate environmental toxins and the Trump administration's approach.
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Rachael Myrow @rachaelmyrow.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
🎙️TUESDAY at 9 am PST on KQED Forum: In 1962, Rachel Carson warned us that the chemicals we spray on our fields don't stay in the fields. Sixty years later, the pesticides are still with us, and PFAS, and microplastics. So where does that leave us — the public in public health?
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The New Lede @thenewlede.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Less than three months ago, the EPA unveiled its "PFAS OUT" agenda. Since then, the Trump administration has approved new PFAS pesticides, rolled back PFAS regulations, and is considering new PFAS uses in data centers. www.thenewlede.org/2026/08/the-...
thenewlede.org
The EPA says they want “PFAS Out.” Their policies are allowing more of them in
Less than three months ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official Jess Kramer outlined a series of promises dubbed “PFAS OUT,” aimed at
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Center for Biological Diversity @biologicaldiversity.org · 04/08/2026
“Many fluorinated #pesticides meet the OECD definition of a #PFAS, but very few meet EPA’s definition. “This administration is putting more effort into omitting chemicals from PFAS regulation than they have in actually protecting people from PFAS.”
thenewlede.org
The EPA says they want “PFAS Out.” Their policies are allowing more of them in
Less than three months ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official Jess Kramer outlined a series of promises dubbed “PFAS OUT,” aimed at
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Today at 12 PM PT, @ewgofficial.bsky.social @ewgprez.bsky.social Ken Cook joins @kqedforum.bsky.social for a conversation on the Trump administration's approach to chemicals and the future of the #MAHA movement. Tune in! www.kqed.org/forum/201010...
kqed.org
Trump Administration Backs Off Regulating Environmental Toxins Despite MAHA Demands | KQED
We'll talk about efforts to regulate environmental toxins and the Trump administration's approach.
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Safer States @saferstates.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
250 organizations are urging the Senate to put people’s health first by rejecting efforts to weaken #TSCA, our nation's chemical safety law. Families deserve stronger protections from toxic chemicals, not rollbacks that will increase exposure. Read more: www.saferstates.org/press-room/2...
saferstates.org
250 Organizations Urge Senate: Put Americans’ Health Before Chemical Industry Profits - Safer States
National alliance urges Congress to reject industry efforts to weaken nation’s chemical safety law and encourages Congress to hear from impacted communities, veterans, workers, and health professional...
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NRDC @nrdc.org · 22/07/2026
We tested over 100 products in New York and California that had supposedly phased out the use of toxic “forever chemicals”—and the results are promising. Read the full report: on.nrdc.org/4fdEKUq 👇🧵
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Dean Napolitano @dinonapolitano.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Hiroko Tabuchi writes in @nytimes.com, “In a fiercely divided Washington, there is bipartisan anger at the stalled progress in cleaning up toxic chemicals at military bases. The delays have emerged as a rare issue uniting Democrats and Republicans in their criticism of the Pentagon.”
nytimes.com
Bipartisan Anger Grows at Pentagon’s Delayed ‘Forever Chemicals’ Cleanups
Hundreds of bases are contaminated with PFAS, which are linked to low birth weight and other risks. Politicians from both parties are demanding explanations.
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Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Endometriosis takes nine years to diagnose. That’s about to change. NICE has approved two tests: a saliva test reading microRNA markers, and a gut-sensor test returning results in 45 minutes, sparing women the keyhole surgery currently needed. buff.ly/QX3jHk8 #ShareGoodNewsToo
buff.ly
Rapid endometriosis tests to be made available on NHS in England and Wales
Saliva and gut sensor-based tests hailed as ‘gamechanger’ for millions of women who can wait years for diagnosis
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
When MAGA Republicans and Democrats are both furious at the Pentagon for the same reason, something has gone seriously wrong. Nearly 200 military bases have delayed #PFAS cleanups. One site is pushed back by 20 years! BY @hirokotabuchi.bsky.social for @nytimes.com. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/c...
nytimes.com
Bipartisan Anger Grows at Pentagon’s Delayed ‘Forever Chemicals’ Cleanups
Hundreds of bases are contaminated with PFAS, which are linked to low birth weight and other risks. Politicians from both parties are demanding explanations.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 31/07/2026
As costs continue to rise, Trump is cutting a Medicare program that helps seniors afford their medications. This year the program cost less than 2 days of Trump's Iran war. This isn't about money, it's about priorities & Trump is showing us his.
wsj.com
Exclusive | Trump Administration to End Medicare Drug Plan Subsidy
Program that held down premiums won’t be renewed for 2027, resulting in higher costs for some seniors.
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Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis @kendrawrites.com · 31/07/2026
He's also putting tariffs on generic drugs....
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Ban one #PFAS, manufacturers swap in another. A new study found short-chain "replacement" #ForeverChemicals in 100% of stuffed toys tested ... chemicals that leach more easily and face far less scrutiny than the ones they replaced. We must regulate PFAS as a class! www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
PFAS may be in your kid’s favorite plush animal – what parents need to know
Give a beloved teddy bear or other stuffed creature to a baby or toddler and they might try to put it in their mouth.
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Monica Amarelo @monicaamarelo.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Buying new pots and pans? About 40% of cookware companies disclose their products contain #PFAS, per a new directory. @ewgofficial.bsky.social has recommended avoiding nonstick cookware for 20+ years. Cast iron, stainless steel or carbon steel are the way to go. www.ewg.org/news-insight...
ewg.org
Buying cookware? A California law makes it easier to spot PFAS in kitchen products
For years, the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS were used
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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree @pingree.house.gov · 18/05/2026
This is bad news. Really bad.   Trump’s EPA wants to roll back limits on 4 “forever chemicals” in drinking water and give utilities 2 more years to comply with limits on PFOA and PFOS.   This is an absolute betrayal of MAHA—and states like Maine that have led the way on addressing the PFAS crisis.
washingtonpost.com
EPA wants to repeal limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
If finalized, the proposal would end the Biden-era restrictions for four toxic PFAS compounds and give utilities two more years to comply with limits on two other compounds.
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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
The EPA got info on the toxicity of GenX in 2006, when DuPont sent it the 1st of 16 reports showing the compound causes cancer 20 years later, the agency is rolling back drinking water limits on GenX and other PFAS chemicals citing the need for more research 🤯 theintercept.com/2016/03/03/n...
theintercept.com
New Teflon Toxin Causes Cancer in Lab Animals
DuPont’s replacement for PFOA, a chemical used to make Teflon and many other products, causes many of the same health problems.
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Rep. Haley Stevens @rephaleystevens.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
After all the work we’ve done to clean up our water and get rid of PFAS, Donald Trump is opening the floodgates for polluters. His EPA is rolling back protections against these forever chemicals, once again putting big corporations ahead of the health and safety of Michigan families.
nytimes.com
E.P.A. to End Some Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water
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AltFDA @altfda.altgov.info · 19/05/2026
A quick chat about why this is really fucking bad! What’s not talked about in the media is that most plants and animals are Bio-Accumulators of all forms of PFoA’s or PFAS. You don’t eat/ drink this shit and piss it out like all those supplements bitches be taking. It collects in your body…
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The War Monitor @warmonitor.net · 19/05/2026
The Trump administration has rolled back key Biden-era regulations meant to protect America’s drinking water from dangerous PFAS chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage, fertility issues, and other serious health conditions.
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Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon @scanlon.house.gov · 19/05/2026
Rolling back regulations on PFAS and other toxic forever chemicals will have adverse impacts on our public health. I will continue fighting for the right to safe and clean drinking water.
washingtonpost.com
EPA wants to repeal limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
If finalized, the proposal would end the Biden-era restrictions for four toxic PFAS compounds and give utilities two more years to comply with limits on two other compounds.
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Governor Tony Evers @govevers.wisconsin.gov · 19/05/2026
Here in Wisconsin, we've made significant progress to fight PFAS and make sure everyone can trust their water straight from the tap. These actions by the Trump Administration are reckless and a huge step backward in our efforts to keep folks healthy and safe. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
washingtonpost.com
EPA wants to repeal limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
If finalized, the proposal would end the Biden-era restrictions for four toxic PFAS compounds and give utilities two more years to comply with limits on two other compounds.
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Craig Peters @lohaddotcom.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Same here. Willow Grove air base in Horsham, PA is a PFAS hotbed. No one will ever convince me it didn't give my wife cancer (married 31 years; she died in 2016), though no lawyer I spoke to would even consider the case.
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 20/05/2026
The EPA is also proposing to roll back limits on dangerous “forever chemicals” in our drinking water. Once again, the agency is denying its own scientific conclusions, this time on the harms of PFAS exposure.
nytimes.com
E.P.A. to End Some Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water
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Senator Elissa Slotkin @slotkin.senate.gov · 21/05/2026
Some of the residents in Oscoda, MI, can't drink their water or swim in their lake due to PFAS. And  they've been told to wait another five-years, after twenty years of waiting on the Air Force for proper cleanup. We owe it to them to step up. youtube.com/shorts/phCRC...
youtube.com
PFAS CLEANUP IN OSCODA, MICHIGAN
YouTube video by Sen. Elissa Slotkin
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Emily Atkin @emorwee.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Reupping this in light of the EPA's decision today to weaken PFAS standards for drinking water MAHA is dead
heated.world
"Make America Healthy Again" is dead - by Emily Atkin
There is nothing RFK Jr. can do at the Department of Health to make up for what's happening at the EPA.
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Khashoggi's Ghost @urocklive1.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Trump’s EPA wants us to keep guzzling “forever chemicals” in our water. They offered a formal proposal Monday to repeal Biden-era regulations on PFAS, aka “forever chemicals” because they linger in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years. newrepublic.com/post/210595/...
newrepublic.com
“Betrayal”: Trump EPA Rolls Back Key Drinking Water Protections
The EPA has repealed limits on four types of “forever chemicals.”
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 19/05/2026
PFAS has been linked to cancer & developmental delays in children. We should be doing everything we can to get it OUT of our drinking water. But instead, the Trump Admin wants to do the opposite — putting our communities at risk. This isn't just wrong — it's dangerous.
nytimes.com
E.P.A. to End Some Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water
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Catherine Prendergast @badtoss.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
They are not, but there is regulation about PFAS chemicals in areas that can seep into ground water and wells. Big issue here on Cape Cod because the airforce base is doing just that.
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Laurel Davila @laureldavilacpa.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
“Mr. Schaap felt he had no choice but to have his herd killed. Testing showed that the water he had pulled from wells on his property contained exceptionally high levels of PFAS,” #Pinks #ProudBlue #MomSky #Gift www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/s...
nytimes.com
A U.S. Reckoning Over Chemical Pollution From Military Bases
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
I will forever be pissed at people who voted for this. The Trump regime plans to repeal Biden-era drinking water limits on four PFAS compounds and delay standards for two others.
theguardian.com
Trump officials plan to repeal limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
EPA outlines effort to kill Biden-era rules as critics condemn RFK Jr and Lee Zeldin’s ‘hocus pocus’
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