Emily Donovan has a mission:<\/p>\n
\u201cMake the polluters pay.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The mother of twins took on the role of activist when she started fighting for her North Carolina community in 2017. Her main target: PFAS \u201cforever chemicals,\u201d which do not degrade and at even low levels have been linked to a wide range of human health risks, including fertility issues, immune interactions, cancer, liver damage, thyroid disease, asthma, and more.<\/p>\n
A recent report from the nonprofit Waterkeeper Alliance found that\u00a098% of waterways<\/a>\u00a0in the United States contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS. One of the country\u2019s most polluted rivers, according to the\u00a0report<\/a>, sits at the heart of Donovan\u2019s own Cape Fear community in North Carolina.<\/p>\n
After the first news of this contamination broke in 2017, Donovan and other local activists came together around a kitchen table and founded\u00a0Clean Cape Fear<\/a>, a community action group focused on fighting the polluters of the Cape Fear River and holding elected officials accountable to restore and protect the region.<\/p>\n
Since those early days, Donovan has made numerous strides against PFAS, most notably in leading the dialogue that led the EPA, under the Biden administration, to issue the first\u00a0nationwide regulations<\/a>\u00a0for PFAS in drinking water in April 2024. For this work, the United Nations named Donovan a defender of human rights, recognizing her unwavering commitment to fighting PFAS contamination on a national level.<\/p>\n
Now, under President Trump, the EPA has rescinded those regulations that took so much work to set in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am sad, and I am frustrated,\u201d says Donovan. \u201cBut after the announcement came out, I\u2019m settled and resolved. That sadness has settled into anger, which is a very good fuel for motivation. Stupidest thing they could have done is to make people angry.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Trump Aids Polluters<\/h3>\n
On April 10, 2024, the EPA set out legally enforceable limits \u2014 called \u201cmaximum contaminant levels\u201d \u2014 for six PFAS chemicals in drinking water: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, GenX (HFPO-DA), and PFBS. Under these rules, PFOA and PFOS were limited to 4 parts per trillion (ppt); PFNA, PFHxS, and GenX were limited to 10 ppt, and PFBS was regulated under the federal \u201chazard index,\u201d meaning it does not have a fixed parts-per-trillion number but is considered to add risk to human health if it\u2019s in drinking water. Public water systems had until 2029 to fully meet these federal requirements, as PFAS regulations often differ from state to state.<\/p>\n
What was considered a historic move is now being dismantled with breathtaking speed. The regulations instituted by the Biden administration were\u00a0withdrawn by the Trump administration<\/a>\u00a0on its second day in power.<\/p>\n
The EPA\u2019s most recent change rescinded regulations covering four of the six common PFAS contaminants while keeping regulatory compliance for PFOA and PFOS, both of which have been retired from commercial use.<\/p>\n
Regulations on GenX \u2014 the chemical that polluted Cape Fear \u2014 were quietly canceled under this change.<\/p>\n
Several nonprofits, including the\u00a0NRDC<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Earthjustice<\/a>, have filed lawsuits challenging the new federal PFAS drinking water standards and the hazardous substance designations, arguing they violate\u00a0the Safe Drinking Water Act<\/a>, a safety standard set in 1974. Earthjustice represents Cape Fear residents in both cases.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe this is an illegal move,\u201d says Donovan.<\/p>\n