Media Center

Lead to Plastic: Are We Trading One Hazard for Another?

April 27, 2026 BackgrounderNew York, United StatesValerie Baron

Dangerous, outdated lead service lines have got to go. We must not waste this generational investment and place New York’s drinking water at risk of new contamination by replacing lead with plastic pipes.

EPA proposes to weaken safeguards against coal ash pollution in groundwater, threatening community drinking water sources around the country

April 9, 2026 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C., United States

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed rollbacks to regulations that require coal-burning power plants to monitor and clean up their toxic coal ash that contaminates groundwater.

Minnesotans Overfill First Oversight Hearing on Polluter Capture

April 8, 2026 Press ReleaseMinnesota

For the first time in years, the Minnesota Senate held an oversight hearing on Polluter Capture – when polluting companies exert too much influence over how our Minnesota State government agencies do, or do not, enforce the law. Community members…

Zeldin’s Devastating Record May Get Him a Promotion

April 2, 2026 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C., United States

Zeldin’s EPA acted unlawfully to cut protections for clean air and water and abdicate the legal responsibility to tackle climate pollution.

The EPA’s Proposed Tap Water Standard for Rocket Fuel Perchlorate Threatens Millions

March 12, 2026 BackgrounderUnited StatesErik D. Olson

The agency's proposal to set the health goal and standard for perchlorate at 20 ppb will not adequately protect public health.

Advocates, Lawmakers, and Residents Urge Lawmakers to Pass Lead Pipe Replacement Act to Protect Clean Water

March 11, 2026 Press ReleaseNew York, Albany

Today, advocates, lawmakers, and New Yorkers impacted by lead poisoning gathered at the Capitol to call for urgent action to eliminate lead pipes from New York’s drinking water systems.

Trump’s Assault on the State of Our Health and the Environment

February 23, 2026 Ed Board MemoUnited StatesAlexandra Adams

As Americans take stock of the state of the union on Tuesday night, the state of the environment is gravely imperiled.

Nitrogen Pollution Reduction Act to Protect California's Drinking Water is Introduced in the State Assembly

February 23, 2026 Press ReleaseSacramento

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan has introduced the Nitrogen Pollution Reduction Act (AB 2447), sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Soil Health Team (NRDC). The bill requires the State Water Resources Control Board and California's regional water quality control boards to…

A Year of Betrayal: EPA Under Lee Zeldin

January 28, 2026 Ed Board MemoUnited StatesJustin Bar

Administrator Zeldin has put the agency to work for polluters, putting our health and that of our children at risk.

North Carolina Regulators Approve Self-Policing Policy for PFAS Polluters

January 8, 2026 Press ReleaseNorth Carolina

The EMC voted to move forward with proposed rules, written by industry, that allow PFAS polluters in North Carolina to self-report and self-regulate toxic “forever chemicals” discharges into the state’s surface waters, including drinking water supplies.

EPA Proposes Drinking Water Standard for Perchlorate

January 5, 2026 ReactionUnited States

The EPA today announced it would set standards for perchlorate, a toxic component of rocket fuel that has been found in the drinking water of millions of people.

Taking Stock of the Trump Administration's Assault on the Environment at One Year

December 19, 2025 Ed Board MemoUnited StatesAlexandra Adams

Our nation's environment, energy security, and public health is suffering, and the United States has become a drag on the energy revolution it was poised to lead.

The EPA Now Says There Aren’t 9 Million Lead Pipes—There Are 4 Million. Be Skeptical.

December 18, 2025 BackgrounderUnited StatesErik D. Olson

NRDC analyzes the available information on how the agency reached this radically different number—and we raise questions about whether the new estimate is reliable.

Governor Newsom Vetoes Legislation to Replace “Forever Chemicals” with Cleaner Alternatives

October 13, 2025 Press ReleaseCalifornia

Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 682, a bill that would have eliminated harmful chemicals from household products.

History of PFAS Contamination in North Carolina

October 7, 2025 BackgrounderNorth CarolinaDr. Anna Reade, Angela Guyadeen, Dr. Katie Pelch

State leaders have considered several proposals to protect drinking water from PFAS pollution, but none have been successfully implemented.

California Moves to Phase Out Unnecessary Uses of “Forever Chemicals”

September 18, 2025 BackgrounderCaliforniaAvinash Kar

As the federal administration takes steps to weaken protections against PFAS, also known as toxic “forever chemicals,” California moves to add protections.

New Tools Show How Trump EPA Funding Cuts Harms Communities  

September 16, 2025 Press ReleaseUnited States

Interactive maps and stories show local impacts and lived experiences of communities affected by clawbacks of federal investments.

EPA Seeks to Roll Back PFAS Drinking Water Rules, Keeping Millions Exposed to Toxic Forever Chemicals in Tap Water

September 12, 2025 Press ReleaseUnited States

Over 73 million people in the United States are served by water systems that have detected PFAS levels above the limits the EPA now seeks to rescind or delay.

Voluntary Is Not Enough: States Need to Intervene to Address Nitrogen Pollution

September 12, 2025 BackgrounderMinnesotaMaya Korb, J.P. Rose

It's critical that we grow food in a way that doesn’t poison drinking water, kill wildlife, and degrade ecosystems.

Environmental Groups Sue the EPA Demanding Protections from Hazardous Chemicals

August 28, 2025 Press ReleaseUnited States

Groups ask the court to direct the EPA to revisit long-overdue rules to limit the hazardous substances discharged into waterways.