There Are Toxic "Forever Chemicals" in Your Drinking Water Because 30,000 Factories Dump PFAS Waste Right Into the Water

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals,” are a class of highly toxic man-made fluorinated chemicals used in a variety of products, including pesticides, waterproof fabric, waterproof sunscreen, dental floss, stain-resistant carpets, nonstick cookware, flame retardant furniture, take-out containers, cosmetics and firefighting foam.

PFAS lasts forever, accumulating in the environment, and it kills. There is scientific evidence that it causes cancer, kidney disease, birth defects, and liver damage, and batters the immune system.

The reason PFAS has been detected in the blood of 98% of Americans and is contaminating 45% of U.S. tap water, is because companies like 3M and DuPont have always had a free pass to dump their waste right into streams, rivers, and sewage systems. There are an estimated 12,000 PFAS formulations and 30,000 factories polluting our drinking water with this “devil’s piss.”

TAKE ACTION: The EPA has a comment period open on its intent to block drinking water testing for PFAS. Take action by July 20 and tell them what you think!

Personal Information

*SAMPLE TEXT TO THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY*

You will be able to modify this text on the next page, after entering your information.

Dear [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency],

 The EPA should stop the pollution at its source by banning all fire-retardant, non-stick, water-resistant, herbicidal, and insecticidal PFAS chemicals and get them out of our water, out of consumer products, out of the military, out of firefighting, and out of food and farming! 

In 2024 the EPA determined that long-term exposure to PFAS, in levels commonly found in drinking water, was linked to kidney cancer, immune system suppression, developmental delays in infants and children, and other serious health issues. In response, the EPA set its first maximum contaminant limits for PFAS in drinking water at 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS and 10 parts per trillion for GenX, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFBS.

Now the EPA is rescinding protections for GenX, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFBS and delaying enforcement of PFOA and PFOS limits until 2031. This is a decision that disregards earlier findings that the amount of these chemicals in our drinking water today is causing serious health problems.

These are not abstract risks. PFNA interferes with human development and is linked to lower birth weights, liver damage, thyroid effects, and Type 2 diabetes. GenX causes liver and kidney toxicity, immune suppression, and cancer. PFHxS disrupts thyroid hormones, stays in the human body for up to 8.5 years, and is linked to attention and executive function problems in children. 

The EPA found PFOA and PFOS are Likely to Be Carcinogenic to Humans, with epidemiological evidence of kidney, testicular, and breast cancer for PFOA, and bladder, prostate, liver, kidney, and breast cancers for PFOS.

These are the EPA's own findings. Rolling them back is a betrayal of the agency's purpose.

PFAS chemicals are making us sick and shortening our lives. Halting efforts to get PFAS out of our water is unconscionable.

Please resume plans to enforce limits to PFAS in our water and ultimately to cut off this pollution at its sources by banning PFAS chemicals.

Thank you.

[Your Name]