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By Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now; August 27, 2025
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. You can read other stories from the Great Lakes News Collaborative here.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the PFAS Reduction Act into law on August 15. It will phase out intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in children’s products, cosmetics, sleepwear, underwear, menstrual products and dental floss by 2032.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discovered that PFAS levels are well above the legal limit in South Bend and Morgantown, Indiana. In July, USA Today published a map of public drinking water systems that recently submitted test results. To see where else high levels were detected check out the map here. According to Newsweek, data from the EPA’s Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule showed that millions of more Americans are drinking water contaminated with these toxic “forever chemicals,” than previously suspected.
In Wisconsin, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa sued the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to prevent a “decision to grant a general construction site permit for drilling.” The tribe stated that Green Light Wisconsin needed to obtain an industrial permit, since drilling for metals could “damage environmental, cultural and historic resources that include Indian trails and burial sites.” According to Wisconsin Public Radio, this request was denied by a judge. Other advocates have voiced concerns about the usage of PFAS in drilling fluids.
On August 27, Senate Bill 980 was introduced in Pennsylvania. If passed, this would limit PFAS in the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam, starting in 2026.
“Firefighters can face an extremely higher level of PFAS exposure compared to other emergency responders,” Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) said. “PFAS contamination is a national public health challenge, and this bill is a commonsense response, which has already been adopted by many states. This bill will undoubtedly protect firefighters moving forward, while also safeguarding our ground and surface water from contamination.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a virtual pre-rulemaking stakeholder meeting on potential prohibitions on PFAS in apparel. According to the National Law Review, they will present an overview of the enacted law, and aim to use feedback from the meeting to “inform a proposed rule with additional public comment opportunities.”
Featured image: A worker’s gloved hand holds a test tube with a water sample. (Photo Credit: iStock)