White House Releases New Research Strategy to Protect Communities from PFAS

September 3, 2024

Read the full article by The White House

"President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that every person and community should have access to safe products, clean drinking water and a healthy environment, free of toxicants and pollutants that harm public health and well-being. Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a new strategy for federal research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or so-called “forever chemicals”—which are associated with certain cancers and other health harms. This strategy builds on years of progress that the Biden-Harris Administration has made to protect communities from PFAS pollution and the Biden Cancer Moonshot’s efforts to reduce Americans’ exposure to cancer-causing chemicals as part of its mission to end cancer as we know it.

“Every community should be able to buy products, drink water, and eat food without worrying about PFAS contamination,” said OSTP Deputy Director for Climate and Energy Jane Lubchenco. “This strategy lays out actions that federal agencies can take to address PFAS research needs and work together with impacted communities to mitigate the impacts of PFAS across the country.”

The goals of this strategy include: providing high-quality data to inform federal government decisions to reduce and prevent PFAS contamination and its health impacts; communicating PFAS research effectively to impacted communities; identifying technologies that can help remediate PFAS pollution; and generating actionable information, including about PFAS alternatives that federal agencies, manufacturers, and consumers can rely on to make informed decisions."