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Most people have never heard the term PFAS, yet these chemicals are quietly present in daily routines across the country. From the pan you cook breakfast in to the water you drink before bed, PFAS have found their way into places we rarely question.

As testing continues to expand, the next challenge will be turning information into action, ensuring that every community not only knows what is in their water, but has the tools, support, and resources to respond.

A growing wave of lawsuits is reshaping the national response to PFAS contamination. From local water systems to military communities, cities and residents are taking legal action to hold polluters accountable for decades of environmental damage.

PFAS contamination is no longer a distant environmental concern—it’s a growing reality for communities across the United States. As new testing reveals the widespread presence of these “forever chemicals,” towns from Georgia to Ohio are confronting long-hidden pollution, rising health concerns, and the costly burden of cleanup.

For many people, the concern about PFAS becomes real when they ask a simple question, what does this mean for my health.

Across the country, awareness of PFAS has often started at the local level, with concerned residents asking questions about their water, their health, and their future. What has followed in many communities is a powerful reminder that change does not always begin with policy, it often begins with people.

When it comes to PFAS, one of the most common questions people ask is simple, why were these chemicals allowed in the first place, and who is responsible for fixing the problem now. The answer is complex, shaped by decades of evolving science, limited oversight, and growing public awareness.

As communities across the country continue to discover contamination from per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the National PFAS Contamination Coalition criticized guidance released by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) for medical clinicians on PFAS exposure.

For many households, turning on the tap is something we do without a second thought. We trust that the water is safe, clean, and reliable.

The EPA is proposing to regulate 6 PFAS at the federal level–PFOA and PFOS as individual contaminants at 4 parts per trillion (ppt), and PFHXS, PFNA, PFBS, and HFPO-DA (commonly referred to as GenX Chemicals) together at a Hazardous Index of 1.0 (unitless).

Today, the National PFAS Contamination Coalition, Sierra Club, Center for Health Environment and Justice, and more than 60 other organizations sent a letter to the Biden Administration calling for the safe and expeditious clean up of PFAS-contaminated federal sites.

Today, the EPA announced that they are finally taking action to list two of the thousands of PFAS chemicals as Hazardous Substances under CERCLA, clearing the way for them to be included in Superfund clean up standards.

The NPCC sent a letter in January calling on President Biden to prioritize PFAS in the new administration’s priority agenda. The EPA’s PFAS strategic roadmap addresses some of these concerns including setting clear timelines and next steps for protecting communities across the country from PFAS contamination.

Community leaders across the country are calling on President-elect Joe Biden to act on ‘forever’ chemicals when he takes office this month.