Action Alerts

Thanks for taking action, here’s what you can do next

What's At Stake

Thank you for taking action to urge the EPA to get toxic PFAS out of our drinking water.

Now we need you to take the next step to urge the EPA to protect our communities from toxic chemicals like PFAS: delivering virtual public comment directly to EPA during its public hearing on July 7. 

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Public hearings are one of the most effective ways to demonstrate that across the country, people are paying attention and demanding action. The EPA is proposing to eliminate some and delay other protections from toxic forever chemicals in drinking water. We need strong public participation from people who understand how critical it is to keep these safeguards in place.

The good news: Participating is easier than most people think.

You do not need to be a lawyer or policy expert to give public comments. Personal stories and concerns about the harms of toxic PFAS in drinking water and the people who’d be directly impacted all matter. Public comments can be delivered from your phone or computer; you can simply read prepared remarks, and it only lasts a few minutes. You also do not need to attend the entire hearing.

To help advocates participate confidently, Earthjustice put together a simple public comment toolkit with:

  • Background on the EPA’s proposal
  • Key talking points
  • Tips for preparing public comment
  • Sample public comment language
  • Guidance for participating virtually

If you’re interested in speaking directly to the EPA, sign up on this page to receive the toolkit in your email and next steps for participating.

Thank you for continuing to advocate for removing toxic “forever chemicals” from our water.

Drinking water is one of the most common routes of exposure to PFAS. PFAS have polluted the tap water of at least 16 million people in 33 states and Puerto Rico, as well as groundwater in at least 38 states.
Drinking water is one of the most common routes of exposure to PFAS. PFAS have polluted the tap water of at least 16 million people in 33 states and Puerto Rico, as well as groundwater in at least 38 states. (Yipeng Ge / Getty Images)

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Your Actions Matter

Your messages make a difference, even if we have leaders who don't want to listen. Here's why.

You level the playing field.

Elected officials pay attention when they see that we are paying attention. Read more.

They may be hearing from industry lobbyists left and right, but hearing the stories of their constituents — that’s your power.

Our legislators serve at the pleasure of the people who gave them their job — you.

Make sure your elected officials know whose community and whose values they represent. When you contact your elected official, you’re putting a face and a name on an issue.

Whether or not you voted for them, they work for you, for the duration of their term.

Make sure your elected officials know whose community and whose values they represent. (Find your local, state, and federal elected officials.)

Your action is with us in court.

If a federal agency finalizes a harmful action, the record of public comments provides a basis for bringing them into court. Read more.

Throughout each of the public comment periods we alert you to, Earthjustice’s attorneys are researching and writing in-depth, technical comments to submit — detailing how the regulation could and should be stronger to protect the environment, our communities, and our planet.

We need you to join us — your specific experiences, knowledge, and voice are crucial to add to the Administrative Record through the comment periods.

Lawsuits we file that challenge weak or harmful federal regulations rely on what was submitted during the comment period. The court can only look at documents that are in the Administrative Record — including the public comments — to decide if the agency did something improper.

Your actions aid our litigation. Taking action and submitting comments during a comment period is substantively important.

It’s the law.

Federal agencies must pause what they’re doing and ask for — and consider — your comment. Read more.

Many of us may have never heard of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), but laws like these require our government to ask the public to weigh in before agencies adopt or change regulations.

Regulations essentially describe how federal agencies will carry out laws — including decisions that could undermine science, or weaken safeguards on public health.

Public comments are collected at various points throughout the federal government’s rulemaking process, including when a regulation is proposed and finalized. (Learn about the rulemaking process.) These comments become part of the official, legal public record — the “Administrative Record.”

When the public responds with a huge outpouring of support for environmental protections, these individual messages collectively undercut politicians' attempts to claim otherwise.

What this means is each of us can take a role in shaping the rules our government creates — and ensuring those rules are fair and effective.