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Environmental Protection Agency chief Lee Zeldin urged supporters of the MAHA movement — Make America Healthy Again — to work with Congress on issues such as PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals found in drinking water.
Speaking at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Zeldin said current regulatory authority on PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, wasn’t set up to make sure polluters pay the cost for cleaning up waterways instead of the ratepayers.
“Of course. Absolutely,” he said when asked if MAHA advocates should reach out to Congress to create new legislation. “There are people to work with in Congress on both sides of the aisle, leaders who are very well aware of the issue.”
He said it is “on Congress to pass new legislation to ensure that ratepayers aren’t going to have to clean up PFAS contamination in their drinking water supply.”
There has been some tension between the EPA and the MAHA movement, which is championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Under Zeldin’s leadership, the EPA has taken action to reduce regulatory pressure on businesses, including extending a PFAS compliance deadline by two years. The Washington Post reported this week that the EPA is delaying approvals for “forever chemicals” uses because Zeldin is concerned about angering MAHA activists.
Zeldin addressed another MAHA issue on Thursday: potential regulations for the controversial herbicide ingredient glyphosate. Kennedy campaigned for years against the pesticide, and some of his supporters have expressed frustration with the EPA’s pace on the issue.
“There is a review that’s going on that needs to be completed in 2026. This is something that continues to move. It’s on track, and we want to follow gold-standard science. We want to be fully transparent with the public on the findings that come back,” he said.
Zeldin added that the EPA needs to better communicate with the public, including MAHA supporters.
“We have web pages that are technical — that if you are a MAHA mom or dad, for example, you go to the web page, you might not be finding all the answers you’re looking for,” he said.
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Zeldin used this Semafor World Economy discussion to announce a new EPA initiative to promote more water reuse, an expansion of the first Trump administration’s National Water Reuse Action Plan.
“We’ll be announcing Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0, which is very important for the environment,” he said. “It’s very important for industry. There’s so much use of water in industry. We hear it with the data centers, with AI, for the energy sector. And to be able to maximize the effective use through these systems is absolutely critical.”
Zeldin, a former Republican congressman and New York gubernatorial candidate, is seen as a potential attorney general nominee after Trump fired Pam Bondi from the position earlier this month. Trump reportedly discussed Zeldin as a replacement.
On Thursday, Zeldin said he’s happy at the EPA.
“This is the best job I’ve ever had. I enjoy this position in every minute of every day,” he replied when asked about a potential Cabinet shuffle following the midterm elections.