By Liam McGowan
New York is facing health and environmental risks. The Federal government is attempting to roll back water protections, putting people across the county at risk of exposure to harmful chemicals in their water supply. The state’s congressional delegation needs to stand up to fight this attack on public health, while state leaders must take steps to ensure New Yorkers are protected.
On November 17, the Trump Administration’s EPA announced the proposal of yet another effort to further the rollback of federal protection for wetlands and water bodies created by the Clean Water Act, which was passed in 1972.
The rule would reinstate an old definition of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS), building off the 2023 Supreme Court case Sackett v. EPA that restricted the EPA’s ability to protect natural wetlands and led to increased pollution and degradation of these bodies around the country.
This has not been the first push to restrict protections from the Clean Water Act: in 2020, the Trump administration released the Navigable Waters Act, narrowing the scope of protection to only commercially used waters and water bodies that feed into them.
The Trump Administration’s main focus here is economic gain, as decreased protections makes it easier for companies to expand operations without having to worry about environmental safeguards. Fewer restrictions also make it easier for homeowners to build around once protected areas, as was the case in Sackett v. EPA. More industry and settlement around water bodies leads to harmful chemicals entering the water, eventually flowing downstream to the public’s drinking water supply.
Rolling back federal protections on wetlands and other water bodies will endanger wildlife and biodiversity in these areas and disturb already delicate ecosystems. Up to 80% of wetlands – which are essential to protect cities and towns from storm surges – are threatened by the installation of this new rule.
Once it is published in the Federal Register, the new proposed rule has a 45 day comment period, during which it is essential for voices to be heard in opposition of this installment. (You will hear more from us on this.)
The Trump administration is also trying to roll back limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
“Clean water is our most precious resource and with the federal government rolling back decades of environmental protections, the state must step up to protect New Yorkers,” said Pat McClellan, Policy Director for the New York League of Conservation Voters.
PFAS – commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” – can lead to thyroid disease, kidney cancer, and other harmful health effects. In May, the Trump Administration’s EPA announced that it planned to scrap Biden-era drinking water limits on four PFAS chemicals (PFNA, PFHxS, GenX, and PFBS) and delay limits on two other PFAS (PFOA and PFOS) by two years.
These limits – a combination of Maximum Contaminant Levels and a Hazard Index – require water utilities to test for PFAS and install additional treatment or find a new water source if they detect harmful levels of contamination.
Fortunately, there is a lot New York can do to mitigate the impact of this effort. That’s why we’re urging Governor Kathy Hochul to ensure appropriate limitations of PFAS in New York’s drinking water supply by directing the NYS Department of Health (DOH) to enact state regulations that will continue implementing the federal PFAS limits on the books today.
We’re also joining Senator Pete Harkham, Chair of the Environmental Conservation Committee, along with other advocates in calling for a $500 million investment in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act in the upcoming Executive Budget proposal for FY2026-2027. This will allow the state to “modernize aging infrastructure, ensure our water is free from toxins, and protect New Yorkers’ health,” McClellan said in Sen. Harckham’s announcement.
When Government Leaders fail to take action, the impacts can have widespread effects on public health and the environment. That is where you come in:
Please take two minutes to fill out this form to urge congress to fight Trump’s clean water roll backs and tell Governor Hochul to protect New Yorkers from a federal government that has abandoned its commitment to public health and environmental protection.