Riverkeeper calls out RFK Jr., 'Make America Healthy Again' hypocrisy as EPA guts PFAS drinking water protections
May 21, 2026
Riverkeeper Team
Ossining, NY — May 21, 2026: This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it is moving forward with its plan to allow more toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in Americans’ tap water.
The announcement is particularly hypocritical given the current federal administration’s campaign to “Make America Healthy Again.” Both EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have positioned themselves as champions of protecting people from harmful chemicals. But rather than strengthening protections, this announcement strips away limits on PFAS in drinking water — widely recognized as a threat to human health and the environment.
These changes mean that Americans will be exposed to more kinds of dangerous PFAS every time they turn on the tap, putting their health at risk.
“RFK Jr. and Lee Zeldin are talking out of both sides of their mouths: staging events declaring war on PFAS while scrapping the limits that protect Americans from these known carcinogens in their tap water. That’s not a health agenda, that’s gaslighting,” says Riverkeeper President Tracy Brown. “The burden of these chemicals belongs with the polluters who created this crisis, not the communities paying to clean it up. New York must act now to prevent more ‘forever chemicals’ from contaminating our waterways and our bodies."
"Lee Zeldin and RFK Jr. have spent months telling the public they are serious about reducing Americans’ exposure to toxic chemicals and, in the same breath, they rolled back protections against the very chemicals putting people’s health at risk. We know PFAS cause serious harm — the science is settled, and this backward step will endanger public health,” says Riverkeeper Science Director Dr. Shannon Roback. “For decades, Riverkeeper has worked to safeguard the drinking water sources that New Yorkers rely on, and that mission is more urgent than ever. We are calling on New York State to honor its commitment to maintain robust drinking water standards, independent of federal action. New York must follow through and ensure that no resident has to worry about what's coming out of their tap."
Riverkeeper is pushing New York State to follow through on its promise to pass legislation that maintains strong state-level standards for PFAS in tap water, protecting New Yorkers when the federal government won’t.
New York has both the authority and obligation to fill this gap. Several other states, including Maine, Vermont, and Wisconsin, have already adopted their own protective PFAS limits in line with the EPA’s 2024 regulations. New York must follow suit, safeguard drinking water, and refuse to let a federal retreat become a public health crisis.
ABOUT RIVERKEEPER
Riverkeeper protects and restores the Hudson River, and safeguards drinking water supplies through community partnerships, science, and law. Our core programs improve water quality, restore habitat for an abundance of life, and address the impact of climate change on our waterways. Founded in 1966 as the Hudson River Fishermen’s Association, Riverkeeper became the model for more than 320 Waterkeeper organizations around the world and helped establish globally-recognized standards for waterway and watershed protection. We continue to work toward the goal of a swimmable, fishable, and drinkable Hudson River for all. Learn more, get updates, and support our work by visiting riverkeeper.org.
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