As Trump vows to wipe out paper straws over PFAS contamination, his administration sends mixed signals on addressing the much larger problem of PFAS in drinking water.
Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- Trump’s national strategy against paper straws highlights the dangers of PFAS chemicals, even as the administration wavers on defending strict PFAS limits in drinking water.
- EPA head Lee Zeldin has a track record of supporting PFAS regulation but now leads a deregulatory push that could weaken existing protections.
- Critics argue the administration’s focus on straws distracts from broader, more serious PFAS contamination issues affecting public health nationwide.
Key quote:
“If the White House is concerned about PFAS in straws, then can Zeldin pretend there’s no problem with PFAS in drinking water?.”
— Matthew Tejada, environmental health policy lead at the Natural Resources Defense Council
“Why this matters:
Trump’s war on paper straws has the full backing of his environmental team, even as they quietly roll back broader efforts to regulate PFAS in the places that matter most — like the water millions of Americans drink every day. Lee Zeldin, now heading the EPA, once supported stronger PFAS rules but is now steering a deregulatory machine that threatens to leave communities exposed.
Read more: What are PFAS?
