EDC Policy Updates

A new European Union regulation bans PFAS and other hormone-disrupting chemicals in toys, aiming to curb health risks and tighten online toy safety. Richard Connor reports for Deutsche Welle.

As more states try to ban PFAS in consumer products, industry groups are mobilizing to protect their bottom line — even as health risks mount. Molly Taft reports for Wired.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will reexamine the safety of fluoride in drinking water — marking a win for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long pushed to end the practice. Ellie Borst and Ariel Wittenberg report for E&E News.

Firefighters stand on the front lines of disaster, battling wildfires that may consume thousands of acres, responding to emergencies in rural communities, and putting themselves in harm’s way to keep their communities safe. Yet many do not know that the greatest threat may not be the blazes they extinguish but the very gear designed to safeguard them. The PFAS Alternatives Act offers a long-overdue path to protecting firefighters from these harmful substances. The bill, which intends to fund the development of safer alternatives and train first responders on how to minimize chemical exposure, represents a turning point in the fight against the prevalent contamination.

The Trump administration is poised to announce whether it will weaken or uphold Biden-era rules limiting toxic PFAS in drinking water and holding polluters accountable for cleanup. Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.

A plan under the Trump administration to rewrite U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chemical risk evaluations could wipe out hundreds of state-level bans on hazardous substances like PFAS, exposing Americans to higher levels of toxic chemicals in everyday products. Tom Perkins reports for The Guardian.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending fluoride in U.S. drinking water. Anumita Kaur reports for The Washington Post.

As the Trump administration reconsiders strict federal PFAS limits, states and advocates worry a rollback could leave millions exposed to toxic chemicals in their drinking water. Shannon Kelleher reports for The New Lede.

Oregon officials will begin regulating six PFAS chemicals as hazardous substances and develop rules to clean up the toxic compounds, which are tied to cancer and other health problems. Alex Baumhardt reports for the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

New Hampshire lawmakers advanced a bill banning ski, snowboard, and boat waxes containing PFAS, aiming to reduce the spread of harmful chemicals into the environment. Izzy Lidsky reports for Powder.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is walking back pollution enforcement, leaving children in heavily industrialized areas like Louisiana’s Cancer Alley more exposed to toxic air and water. Terry L. Jones reports for Floodlight.

A major reorganization of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — including massive cuts to the federal workforce — threatens scientific progress that drives our economy and improves the public’s health.

Tennessee lawmakers are advancing a bill that would shield pesticide manufacturers from some liability lawsuits, even as critics point to past industry efforts to suppress health risk data. Caroline Eggers reports for WPLN News.

New Mexico lawmakers have passed two bills that would ban most products with added PFAS and classify certain firefighting foams as hazardous waste, positioning the state to join Maine and Minnesota with sweeping restrictions on the toxic chemicals. Sharon Udasin reports for The Hill.

Lee Zeldin, once a climate-conscious Republican from New York, is now steering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to roll back regulations, slash staff, and align with Trump and Elon Musk’s deregulatory vision. Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

More than 37 million Americans get drinking water from systems that exceed federal limits on PFAS, a class of toxic “forever chemicals,” and advocates worry the Trump administration could weaken those standards. Austin Fast and Ignacio Calderon report for USA TODAY.

The secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has launched a sweeping reorganization, ordering layoffs, agency mergers, and office closures that have caught even senior officials off guard. Adam Cancryn, Chelsea Cirruzzo, Ruth Reader, David Lim, Sophie Gardner and Robert King report for POLITICO.

European regulators will ban the herbicide flufenacet in June due to its links to hormonal disruption, child brain development risks, and toxic water pollution. Rachel Birch reports for Agriland.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is weighing a rule that would block states from requiring cancer warnings on pesticide labels, potentially shielding Bayer from further Roundup-related lawsuits. Schuyler Mitchell reports for The Intercept.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will scale back enforcement of pollution violations, limit protections for low-income communities, and shift its mission toward lowering energy costs, according to a new agency memo. Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times.