--- title: "Trump administration delayed PFAS wastewater survey, ex-EPA officials claim" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/health/trump-administration-delayed-pfas-wastewater-survey-ex-epa-officials-claim" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-administration-delayed-pfas-wastewater-survey-ex-epa-officials-claim" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/health/trump-administration-delayed-pfas-wastewater-survey-ex-epa-officials-claim.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-administration-delayed-pfas-wastewater-survey-ex-epa-officials-claim" category: "Health" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-03T22:45:54.033Z" source_reported: "2026-09-03T21:34:48.000Z" updated: "2026-09-03T22:45:54.033Z" trust_score: 80 critic_score: 85 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-03T23:57:59.150Z" --- # Trump administration delayed PFAS wastewater survey, ex-EPA officials claim *A study to identify sources of harmful chemicals was submitted to the White House for approval nearly two years ago.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 80 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports with named sources and documents cited. - Craft 85 of 100, higher is better. Quotes, figures, dates and right of reply included. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headline matches body; no sensationalism detected. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The Trump administration delayed a survey of PFAS in wastewater, according to two former EPA officials. - The survey was submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget in October 2024 and has not yet been approved. - PFAS chemicals are linked to increased risks of certain cancers and developmental effects in children. - A nationwide survey would help identify sources of PFAS and inform new regulations, former EPA director Robert Wood stated. Two former officials from the Environmental Protection Agency have stated that the Trump administration stalled a survey intended to identify industries releasing harmful PFAS chemicals into wastewater. The survey was submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval in October 2024. According to former EPA director Robert Wood, a nationwide survey of wastewater treatment plants would be instrumental in pinpointing PFAS sources and guiding the development of new regulations. PFAS, often referred to as "forever chemicals," are man-made substances linked to serious health issues, including increased risks of certain cancers, developmental problems in children, and reduced vaccine efficacy. These chemicals are widely present in the environment and are difficult to remove. Wastewater treatment plants typically release them back into rivers and soil because they are not equipped to separate them from waste. ## Disagreement on review timelines According to Stuart Shapiro, a former OMB staffer, reviews by the White House Office of Management and Budget typically take about 60 days. He noted that the submission of the PFAS survey in October 2024 represents an unusually long period for approval. The EPA and OMB did not respond to requests for comment, as reported by AP and My Mother Lode. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated, centre-rated, or right-rated reports printed below mention the specific date of October 2024 for the survey's submission to the White House Office of Management and Budget. The full reports from AP and My Mother Lode state this date, but it is not present in the digests or the full report from The Washington Times. ## Who covered it Shares of the 23 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 56% (13) - Centre: 40% (9) - Right: 4% (1) 4 of 27 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-03T23:57:59.150Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-04T00:45:10.827Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Thirteen left-rated reports highlighted the claim that the Trump administration stalled the PFAS survey. These reports frequently mentioned the health risks associated with PFAS, including links to cancer and developmental effects in children. They also quoted former EPA officials like Robert Wood and Betsy Southerland, who suggested the delay might be due to the chemical industry's potential disruption. Some reports noted the administration's "nuanced, and at times controversial, stance towards PFAS," including criticism from environmentalists over an "agency approach to chemical regulation that’s too industry-friendly." ### Centre - Eight centre-rated reports focused on the assertion that the Trump administration delayed the PFAS wastewater survey. These reports included details about the survey's submission to the OMB in October 2024 and the typical review timeline of around 60 days, contrasting it with the extended delay. They also mentioned the health risks linked to PFAS, such as cancer and developmental issues. The reports noted that the EPA and OMB did not provide comment. ### Right - The single right-rated report stated that two former agency officials claimed the Trump administration stalled a study to understand which industries dump harmful forever chemicals in their wastewater. It included the detail that the survey was submitted to the White House for approval nearly two years ago. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 10 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 11 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [sfntoday.com](https://sfntoday.com/2026/09/03/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [The Daily Item](https://dailyitem.com/wire/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_343beb39-5a0e-52e4-922b-b7f22fc45cb4.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [The Daily Advance](https://dailyadvance.com/news/national/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_ee135f69-35eb-5c9b-99ae-b804c549b157.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [Daily Record](https://dailyrecordnews.com/ap_news/politics/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_efe90411-7cdd-5970-859e-adf569a1920c.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [Beloit Daily News](https://beloitdailynews.com/news/national-news/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_0da67e18-6a3a-58a5-84d8-da77cd44c51b.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [verdenews.com](https://verdenews.com/news/national/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_590c403b-0780-5497-be56-d6eae71ea8d0.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/3/former-epa-officials-say-trump-administration-stalled-survey-pfas) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [My Mother Lode](https://mymotherlode.com/news/national/us-government/11113185/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [The Record](https://troyrecord.com/2026/09/03/trump-stalled-pfas-study) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [WBAL](https://wbal.com/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EP - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_cff35861-7776-5fe3-98fb-4207eef9cd98.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [Loonie Politics](https://looniepolitics.com/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/trump-pfas-epa-biden-washington-b3044376.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/trump-forever-chemicals-epa-pfas-wastewater-c4e120e3f22bdd3fb8ceed7a06260738) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [abc News](https://abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-administration-stalled-survey-pfas-wastewater-former-epa-136182821) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/09/03/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [KOB 4](https://kob.com/ap-top-news/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/trump-pfas-epa-biden-washington-b3044376.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [El Paso Inc.](https://elpasoinc.com/news/ap_wire/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_90fb6351-b6c6-5749-aa95-8aca6763485b.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [Yakima Herald-Republic](https://yakimaherald.com/news/nation_and_world/nation/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_f00ebd3c-970e-5ca5-b853-d816a6194a85.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [GazetteXtra](https://gazettextra.com/news/nation_world/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_f7742ff7-f4f6-5103-8105-52b334c629b0.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [KXL](https://kxl.com/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/life/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_2bf2f6b7-7624-5419-b47c-60b9696505c6.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [The Record](https://therecord.com/life/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_4c21c50e-c476-5a79-8a17-c2af0f8e4d9d.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [WellandTribune.ca](https://wellandtribune.ca/life/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say/article_2da2340e-2eb7-5366-b316-9742487d6868.html) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/greenpage/2026/09/03/trump-administration-stalled-a-survey-of-pfas-in-wastewater-former-epa-officials-say) — Trump administration stalled a survey of PFAS in wastewater, former EPA officials say ## Questions **What are PFAS chemicals and why are they a concern?** PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals found in many products. They are a public health concern because they are linked to increased risks of certain cancers, developmental effects in children, and are resistant to vaccines. These chemicals are also persistent in the environment and difficult to remove. **What was the purpose of the stalled survey?** The survey was intended to identify which industries are releasing PFAS chemicals into wastewater. This information could help regulators understand the sources of contamination and develop new regulations to limit the spread of these harmful substances. **When was the survey submitted for approval and how long do reviews typically take?** The survey was submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget in October 2024. Reviews by the OMB typically take around 60 days, according to a former OMB staffer, indicating a significant delay in this case. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/health/trump-administration-delayed-pfas-wastewater-survey-ex-epa-officials-claim. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump administration delayed PFAS wastewater survey, ex-EPA officials claim", https://mediabias.news/health/trump-administration-delayed-pfas-wastewater-survey-ex-epa-officials-claim