Lisa McCormick Urges EPA to Designate PFAS as Toxic Air Pollutants

Lisa McCormick is calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take decisive action by designating several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” as toxic air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

This comes in response to a petition submitted by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), the New Mexico Environment Department, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, seeking the addition of four specific PFAS chemicals to the list of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).

The PFAS chemicals named in the petition include:

• PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid)
• PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid)
• PFNA (perfluorononanoic acid)
• GenX (HFPO dimer acid)

“These forever chemicals are a clear and present threat to our health and the environment,” said McCormick. “While the EPA has been working to address PFAS contamination, adding these substances to the list of regulated pollutants will allow environmental agencies to confront a critical gap—airborne PFAS emissions.”

PFAS, known for their persistence in the environment, have been linked to contamination in soil, groundwater, surface water, and both public and private drinking water sources.

By classifying these chemicals as hazardous air pollutants, McCormick argues that federal and state environmental agencies will have the necessary tools to regulate and reduce the impact of PFAS on air quality, thereby protecting communities from their harmful effects.

McCormick also said that far-right extremists are planning to dismantle environmental regulations with schemes that would reverse progress in protecting Americans from lead, PFAS, soot, and other hazards.

"The Project 2025 playbook proposes replacing tens of thousands of career civil servants, such as scientists at the EPA, with far-right, nonexpert loyalists to usher in a radical agenda that would make it easier for big corporations to dump dangerous toxins into the U.S. water supply and air," said McCormick. "These far-right loyalists would seek to erode the fundamental freedom of every American to breathe clean air and drink safe water and, in so doing, would significantly increase the number of Americans suffering from asthma, cancer, heart disease, reproductive health harms, child development delays, and other health conditions."

McCormick praised New Jersey, North Carolina, and New Mexico for addressing hazardous contamination and said the EPA should work quickly to combat PFAS pollution.

“The link between PFAS air emissions and widespread groundwater contamination is clear,” said McCormick. “By regulating these chemicals under the Clean Air Act, we can prevent the devastating impacts seen in states like North Carolina and safeguard public health and the environment.”

McCormick also expressed concern about recent political interference in North Carolina’s regulatory efforts.

Inside Climate News and NC Newsline recently reported that Republican appointees to the state Environmental Management Commission have worked with industry to delay new PFAS regulations, undermining efforts to protect drinking water.

This week, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) took the unprecedented step of petitioning the EPA to assume control of North Carolina’s water permitting authority, citing failures to enforce the Clean Water Act due to political obstruction.

“With the stakes this high, there is no room for delays or interference,” McCormick said. “The EPA must act now to add these PFAS chemicals to the list of hazardous air pollutants and ensure that regulatory agencies can do their job—protecting the public and our planet.”

In April 2024, the Biden administration finalized strict limits on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured. Officials say this will reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of illnesses, including cancers.

The EPA is ramping up research on the toxins found at wastewater treatment plants, certain manufacturers, landfills, and airports.

McCormick said PFAS air emissions contribute to human exposure through direct inhalation or ingestion of contaminated food and water after deposition to ecosystems.

McCormick said identifying PFAS “forever chemicals” as toxic air pollutants under the Clean Air Act is a common sense measure that can save countless lives from unnecessary suffering and death.