PFAS

President Trump has sought fewer environmental rules and more oil and gas development. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has carried out that agenda by announcing massive regulatory rollbacks.

Federal rules to reduce the levels of "forever chemicals" in drinking water are getting delayed.

The U.S Navy continues its investigation into PFAS contamination in off-base drinking water wells, conducting testing and providing mitigation.

Utility membership groups sued the EPA for clean drinking water rules enacted under the Biden administration. Now, Trump's EPA has until Monday to make a move in court.

Testing shows wells in Whitted had enough PFAS to pose potential health risks. Funding is approved to get the area onto a public drinking water supply, but such change is usually slow in Black neighborhoods.

Scientists are researching toxins, including what are known as "forever chemicals," in the bay and they could create warnings based on what they find.

So far, water utility reports reveal 89.3 million people have been exposed to PFAS nationwide, although a peer-reviewed article from 2020 estimates that number to be around 200 million.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with a UF doctoral student who studied the use of authoritarian language in the 2020 presidential campaign and then explored the power of language with two Florida poets. Later we discussed new limits for PFAS chemicals, the end of an era for space exploration, Sarasota County’s truancy court, solar eclipse stories and why fuzzy caterpillars are becoming a nuisance for some.

The Miami area has had the highest documented levels of PFAS chemicals in Florida drinking water. Although the Tampa region is much lower, utilities will likely need to take action.

PFAS chemicals have been used for decades to waterproof and stain-proof consumer products and are linked to health problems.

The study found military personnel stationed at Camp Lejeune from 1975 to 1985 had at least a 20% higher risk for a number of cancers. The list includes some types of leukemia and lymphoma and cancers of the lung, breast, throat, esophagus and thyroid.

Once completed, the Suspended Ion Exchange plant in Tampa is expected to be the first in the U.S. and largest in the world.