How the election could affect toxic chemical regulation

On a chilly morning in early December 2017, attorney Anthony Spaniola awakened at his cabin on Van Etten Lake in Oscoda, Michigan, to the sight of billowy white froth bobbing along the shore. “You could end up going backwards in environmental protection.” Orme-Zavaleta and others point to Project 2025, an initiative spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and featuring input from many former members of the Trump administration, which calls for efforts to “revisit” and “revise” key PFAS policies finalized during the Biden administration. PFAS, he said, “shouldn’t be a partisan issue.” But Spaniola has concerns that if Trump is elected in November, the EPA could roll back regulations that, he said, are crucial for stopping ongoing contamination and cleaning up the damage. Based on her experience, Southerland, the former EPA official said, “every single thing that’s in there about EPA, I think, will absolutely be done if there is a second Trump administration.” In her Project 2025 chapter on the EPA, Gunasekara recommends revising polices for addressing PFAS contamination in groundwater and revisiting the Superfund hazardous substance designation. Those policies should be looked at with broader stakeholder input and more diversity of scientific thought, said Gunasekara: “Yes, that takes time, but in the scheme of regulatory implementation and compliance, it would be a blip along the way.” Ultimately, if Trump wins in November, some of the PFAS standards may change, said Gunasekara, “but it’s not going to stop tangible progress.” Wheeler agreed: “I fundamentally believe that Republicans and Democrats agree on over 80 percent of these issues.” Whether or not that’s the case, many advocates are more optimistic about PFAS control under a Harris presidency — even as they feel ready to work with a second Trump administration.