Pesticide trade groups are using lobbyists and grassroots networks to delay state laws aimed at curbing PFAS contamination in food and water, citing economic concerns. Lisa Held reports for Civil Eats.

Fifty years after the Safe Drinking Water Act became law, millions still lack reliable access to clean water, particularly in marginalized communities and small towns. Brett Walton reports for Circle of Blue.

President-elect Donald Trump's health appointee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aims to end fluoride in drinking water nationwide, but many states maintain mandates that the federal government cannot override. Hannah Recht reports for The Washington Post.

The final global plastics treaty, which stalled during talks last week, needs to address chemicals used throughout the life cycle of plastics, some of which significantly reduce our fertility and impair our health, in order to truly confront the full scope of the crisis. The global plastics treaty currently being negotiated by 175 countries via the United Nations Environment Programme is a pivotal and possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address this crisis. Last week the fifth round of negotiations ended in a stalemate, with a sixth round planned for 2025. The lack of consensus to date is largely due to failure to agree on regulation of plastic chemicals and production caps. While nearly 100 countries (the “high ambition countries”) support production limits and chemical regulation, fossil fuel dependent countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia are resisting these measures and instead pushing for a focus on plastic waste.

The Biden administration plans to increase the allowable environmental threshold for atrazine, a controversial pesticide, sparking backlash from environmental groups. Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.