Legal Loopholes Allow PFAS Disposal That Risks Water Table Contamination

There are holes in the rules that let PFAS waste disposal methods get into groundwater, which might put drinking water sources in danger

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - People are becoming more worried about how these harmful chemicals are being thrown away as more people learn about PFAS pollution. Federal and state agencies have made progress in controlling PFAS in drinking water, but there are still big gaps in how the waste itself is handled. PFAS-contaminated garbage is regularly shipped to landfills, burned, or even used in industrial processes all around the country. These techniques may not remove the chemicals and may even let them seep into the soil and water around them. Critics say that the rules we have currently don't take into account how PFAS will behave over time. These chemicals are called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down on their own. A lawyer who specializes in PFAS water contamination cases claimed that these disposal methods are already being used in PFAS water litigation. This is because communities are finding that contamination keeps happening even after the source seems to have been "cleaned up."

PFAS are not officially designated as hazardous waste by federal law. This means that the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) does not have the harshest rules on how to get rid of them. This has made it possible to get rid of PFAS-containing products including firefighting foam, industrial sludge, and dirty soil in normal ways. A report from the U.S. in 2024 says the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says that landfills and incinerators that take in PFAS waste don't always have the right technology to completely stop PFAS emissions or leaching. Sometimes, the chemicals get out into the air when they are burned or seep into the groundwater around the places where they are thrown away. The GAO said that communities around these sites may be exposed for a long time without notice if regulations and monitoring systems aren't updated. Groundwater samples obtained near dumping sites have regularly indicated high levels of PFAS, which have worried cities nearby that get their drinking water from wells or aquifers.

The fact that biosolids, which are sewage sludge turned into fertilizer, are widely used on farms makes the problem even worse. This approach was advertised as a way to recycle that would last, however, it has now been connected to soil and crop contamination in multiple states. Some farmers have unwittingly sprayed PFAS on their land, which has poisoned wells and cattle, leaving the question of who is accountable in legal ambiguity. Biosolids are in a gray area when it comes to legislation because they are regulated by different, often less strict, rules than industrial waste. PFAS lawyers say that these disposal methods will keep happening with no oversight or responsibility unless PFAS are officially classified as harmful. Because of this, environmental groups and community advocates are calling for quick changes to the law to fill up the gaps and pay for cleanup efforts in places that have already been damaged.

More Recent Federal Government Water Contamination Lawsuit News:

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• PFAS in Unregulated Water Sources Affect Mobile Home Parks More Than Other Places | 7/23/2025
• PFAS Compounds Stay In Municipal Biosolids That Are Used As Fertilizer | 7/23/2025
• PFAS Spread Documented In River Systems Downstream From Fire Training Facilities | 7/23/2025
• New Research Links PFAS in Drinking Water to Reduced Childhood Vaccine Effectiveness | 7/22/2025
• Military Base Decommissioning Projects Uncover Widespread PFAS Groundwater Contamination | 7/22/2025
• PFAS Leaching From Artificial Turf Into Urban Stormwater Systems | 7/20/2025
• PFAS Detected in Treated Wastewater Reused for Agricultural Irrigation | 7/20/2025
• High PFAS Levels Found in Private Wells Near Landfills and Recycling Centers | 7/20/2025
• PFAS Fingerprinting Technology Can Find Sources Of Contamination In Drinking Water That Are Specific To Certain Industries | 6/20/2025
• State Universities Look At PFAS In Campus Water As Students Complain About Health Issues | 6/20/2025
• Water From Emergency Relief Tanks Sent To Disaster Areas Had PFAS In It | 6/20/2025
• PFAS Treatment System Costs Are Making Suburban Water Utilities Raise Their Rates | 6/18/2025
• PFAS Contamination Spreads When Old Pipe Coatings Are Used To Fix Water Mains | 6/18/2025
• Homeowners Sue Builders For Putting In Plastic Plumbing Fixtures That Contain PFAS | 6/18/2025
• Researchers Develop PFAS-Absorbing Filters Using Mushroom Mycelium | 6/16/2025
• New EPA Rule Mandates Real-Time PFAS Monitoring in Municipal Water Systems by 2026 | 6/16/2025
• PFAS Found in Drinking Water Used in U.S. School Lunch Programs | 6/16/2025
• Federal Housing Complexes Have Been Found To Have High Levels Of PFAS In Their Tap Water | 6/15/2025
• PFAS Found in U.S. Bottled Water Brands Even Though They Say They Are Clean | 6/15/2025
• PFAS-Contaminated Irrigation Water Puts The Safety Of Home-Grown Food At Risk | 6/15/2025
• Older Fire Stations Designed Before 1990 Could Have Drains, Gear Lockers, and PFAS Floors | 5/20/2025
• Accidents Involving Firefighting Foam During Drills Blamed For Contaminating Municipal Water Systems With PFAS | 5/20/2025
• Insufficient Federal PFAS Health Monitoring Leaves Firefighters Ignorant Of Long-Term Cancer Risk | 5/20/2025
• PFAS Foam Ban Directs Fire Departments Towards Incomplete and Expensive Transitions | 5/18/2025
• Class Action Lawsuit Started On Behalf of Children Diagnosed with PFAS-Related Illnesses for Firefighters | 5/18/2025
• Runoff From Firefighting Foam Creates Environmental Risk In Nearby Streams and Aquifers | 5/18/2025
• Firehouse Kitchens and Dorms Might be Secondary PFAS Exposure Sites | 5/15/2025
• PFAS Settlements Might Not Cover Complete Treatment Cost for Firefighter-Linked Cancer Clusters | 5/15/2025
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• Rural Firefighters Sue Regarding Cancer Linked to Unchecked PFAS Foam Use | 5/13/2025
• Fire Station Soils Reveal Long-Term AFFF Leaching Into Groundwater | 5/13/2025
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• New Blood Testing for Firefighters Might Indicate PFAS Exposure Background | 4/21/2025
• PFAS Contamination Lawsuits Target Fire Foam Manufacturers Over False Safety Claims | 4/21/2025
• Community Wells Close to Fire Training Ground Show Years of Unchecked PFAS Contamination | 4/21/2025
• Insurance Companies Review Fire Department Coverage Using Legacy PFAS Foam | 4/21/2025
• Research Connects Increased Bladder Cancer Rates to Long-Term AFFF Exposure in Firefighters | 4/21/2025
• Fire Academy Recruits Might Come Across Risky PFAS Levels During Training | 4/21/2025
• Legacy PFAS Foam Supplies Create Unfair Risk for Volunteer Fire Departments | 4/20/2025
• AFFF Foam and the Unspoken Risk at Fire Department Washing Stations | 4/20/2025
• Volunteer Firefighters Often Lack Protective Gear Against PFAS Exposure | 4/20/2025
• Retired Firefighters Demand Federal Payment for Cancer Cases Linked to PFAS | 4/20/2025
• Urban Firefighting Training Ground Named as PFAS Hotspot | 4/20/2025
• Practices for PFAS Foam Disposal Could Be Generating Secondary Water Contamination Risk | 4/20/2025
• PFAS Are Still Legal Despite Their Known Hazards | 3/15/2025
• How Climate Change Is Complicating PFAS Contamination | 3/15/2025
• Youngsters Consuming Contaminated School Water | 3/15/2025
• How successfully do home water filtration systems remove PFAS | 3/11/2025
• Seafood Safety And PFAS In The Fishing Industry | 3/11/2025
• The American Military's Part in Efforts at PFAS Remedial Action | 3/11/2025
• How PFAS Affects Fertility and Reproductive Health | 3/10/2025
• The Financial Cost Of PFAS Contamination Of Local Water Supplies | 3/10/2025
• Home Items Contributing to PFAS Water Contamination | 3/10/2025
• Effects of PFAS Contamination on Indigenous People | 3/9/2025
• Landfills' Part in PFAS Contamination of Groundwater | 3/9/2025
• Exposure to PFAS Chemicals And The Relationship to Autoimmune Diseases | 3/9/2025
• Firefighters Have Developed Cancer From Using Firefighting Foam | 11/21/2022
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• Part Two of Equipment Degreasers Containing Trichloroethylene Is At The Center Of The US Military's Water Contamination Crisis | 11/20/2022
• Equipment Degreasers Containing Trichloroethylene Is At The Center Of The US Military's Water Contamination Crisis Part One | 11/20/2022
• Tap Water Kidney Cancer Could Be Likely Caused By PFAS Chemical Contaminated | 11/17/2022
• Cancer Clusters May Occur Where PFAS Forever Chemical Are Manufacturered Or Used | 11/17/2022
• Newborn Babies Are Packed With PFAS Forever Chemicals | 11/14/2022
• California Sues 3M And Others For Water Contamination From Firefighting Foam | 11/13/2022
• PFAS Chemicals Found In Tap Water Of Communities Surrounding 400 Military Bases And Airports | 11/12/2022
• Burn Pits And Waste Disposal At Military Bases Contributed To Tap Water Pollution And Cancer | 11/8/2022
• Firefighting Foam Settlements Will Set A Precedent For PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuits In The Future | 10/31/2022
• The Clean Water Act Failed To Protect People From PFAS Forever Chemicals In Americas Waterways | 10/25/2022
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• PFAS Water Contamination May Be Greatest On And Near US Military Installations That Use Firefighting Foam | 10/13/2022
• EWG Reports Multiple Studies Have Found PFAS Chemicals In Umbilical Cord Blood of Newborn Babies | 10/3/2022
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• Water Contamination Is The Invisible Enemy At Military Bases | 9/20/2022
• State Municipal Governments Must Tighten Water Safety Standards | 9/20/2022
• PFAS Chemical Contamination Is Absolutely Everywhere Says A Prominent Environmental Chemist | 9/13/2022
• The US Air Force Identifies PFAS Chemicals From Firefighting Foam Contaminated Several Military Water Supplies | 9/12/2022
• The EPA Undertests and Underreports Levels of PFAS Forever Chemicals In Drinking Water | 8/1/2022
• Municipal Government Are On The Front Line In Fighting Local Tap Water Contamination | 7/27/2022
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• Bottled Water Safety Is Getting The Attention of Lawmakers Looking to Reduce PFAS Forever Chemical In The Water Supply | 7/14/2022
• Passage of The Camp Lejeune Justice Act Could Take Months Longer Than Expected | 7/12/2022
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• Millions Who Lived On or Near Camp Lejeune And Other Military Bases Have Developed A Variety of Deadly Diseases | 7/6/2022
• A CDC Study Links Drinking Camp Lejeune Tap Water With Serious Birth Defects | 7/5/2022
• The EPA Has Lowered Its Tolerance For Acceptable Levels Of PFAS Forever Chemicals In Municipal Drinking Water To Nearly Zero | 6/27/2022
• Marine Combat Survivors Returned Home To Face A Silent But Deadly Enemy In Camp Lejeune Water Contamination | 6/23/2022
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• Massachusetts AG Sues 3M And Others For Destroying The Local Drinking Water Systems With PFAS Forever Chemicals | 6/16/2022
• 12 More Military Bases Show Elevated Levels Of PFAS Forever Chemicals | 6/15/2022
• Dry Cleaning Chemicals Are Likely Carcinogenic According To The WHO | 6/13/2022
• Water Contamination Legislation Should Be A Higher Priority Than Gun Control | 6/10/2022
• Cancer Clusters Expose Dry Cleaning Solution As A Potential Source Of Tap Water Contamination | 6/8/2022
• Farms Near The Nation's 400 Military Bases Are Raising Crops And Livestock That Are Contaminated With PFAS Forever Chemicals | 6/6/2022
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• Thousands of Children Died At Camp Lejeune From Leukemia Because Their Mother Drank Tap Water While Pregnant | 5/31/2022
• Camp Lejeune Marine Veterans, Civilian Employees, And Their Families Should Undergo Cancer Testing | 5/30/2022
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• The Honoring Our Pact Act Will Acknowledge That Latent Cancers Are Service Related | 5/26/2022
• Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune Caused Stillborn Baby Deaths And Other Child Deaths That Were Left Unrecorded | 5/25/2022
• Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Has Helped To Shed Light On A Global Health Catastrophy | 5/23/2022
• Military Veterans From Camp Lejeune May Now File Suit Against The Department of Defense For Causing Their Family Illnesses | 5/20/2022
• Florida Senator Rubio Alleges The Government Covered Up Their Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Crimes And Must Be Held Accountable In A Court of Law | 5/18/2022
• The US Congress Has Known Since 2010 That The Drinking Water At Camp Lejeune Was Killing Marines And Their Families | 5/17/2022
• Marines From Camp Lejeune That Have Lost Children To Cancer From Toxic Forever Chemical Exposure Are Due Their Day In Court | 5/16/2022
• A Camp Lejeune Cemetary Is Called Baby Heaven Because So Many Children Have Died From Toxic Drinking Water | 5/11/2022
• One By One Each State, Municipality, And Other Government Sub-divisions Are Suing The Manufacturers of PFAS Forever Chemicals | 5/10/2022
• Firefighters With Prostate Cancer Sue 3M And Others For Failing To Warn Them | 5/7/2022
• Children Of Military Service Members May Have Been Harmed The Most By PFAS Forever Chemicals | 5/5/2022
• The City Of Portsmouth Files Suit Against 3M and Others For Contaminating The Ohio River | 5/3/2022
• More Legislation Is On The Way That Will Compensate Military Veterans And Firefighters Who Have Developed Job-Related Illnesses | 4/27/2022
• Another Lawsuit Filed Against a Municipal Drinking Water Treatment Plant For Being Polluted With Forever Chemicals | 4/25/2022
• Lawmakers Address Toxic PFAS Forever Chemicals By Writing Legislation That Is Pending Becoming Law | 4/22/2022
• One Study Finds Carcinogenic PFAS Chemicals Bioaccumulate In Beef And Dairy Products | 4/21/2022
• A Local Dry Cleaning Company May Have Polluted the Camp Lejeune Water Treatment Facilities With PFAS Forever Chemicals | 4/19/2022
• Burn Pits Are Identified As A Source Of Military Installation Drinking Water Contamination | 4/18/2022
• Young Families Exposed To Toxic Chemicals Are Fighting Back | 4/15/2022
• Cancer Clusters Indicate PFAS Forever Chemical Contamination | 4/14/2022
• 98% Of Americans Test Positive For Toxic Levels of Forever Chemicals | 4/13/2022
• Lawsuits Seek Lump Sum Monetary Compensation For Cancer And Birth Defects From Drinking Contaminated Drinking Water | 4/11/2022
• Studies Conclude That Unborn Children Were Injured When Pregnant Mothers Drank Contaminated Tap Water | 4/8/2022
• 3M To Be Held Accountable For Selling Products That Contain Forever Chemicals Claiming They Were Safe | 4/4/2022
• Mothers That Drink Tap Water During Pregnancy Risk Having Children Born With Birth Defects | 3/30/2022
• Elsworth Air Force Base Is Attempting To Provide Free Clean Water To Local Residents Poisoned By PFAS Chemicals | 3/28/2022
• Military Veterans Are Protesting To Draw Attention To Toxic Burn Pits And The Carcinogenic Firefighting Foam Used To Extinguish The Fires | 3/25/2022
• The Closing Of Military Bases Exposed Toxic Burn Pits And Forever Chemicals in Firefighting Foam | 3/23/2022
• Politicians Agree Camp Lejeune Service Members And Their Families Deserve The Right To Sue The Federal Government | 3/22/2022
• Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Sickened Thousands Of Young Military Families With Terminal Illnesses | 3/21/2022
• Lawmakers Have More Evidence To Help Water Contamination Cancer Families Get Their Day In Court | 3/17/2022
• The Staggering Scope Of Firefighting Foam Water Contamination | 3/14/2022
• The EPA Allocates A Record Amount of Money To Fix Lead Drinking Water Pipes Servicing Low-Income Communities | 3/10/2022
• The EPA Allocates A Record Amount of Money To Fix Lead Drinking Water Pipes Servicing Low-Income Communities | 3/10/2022
• Children Living Near Military Bases and Firefighting Stations Could Be At Risk Of Developing Cancer From The Drinking Water | 3/7/2022
• Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Survivors Could Get Their Day In Court | 3/6/2022
• Camp Lejeune Justice Act Is One Step Closer To Becoming A Reality | 3/5/2022
• County Governments Are Suing 3M For Failing To Warn Them of Forever Chemicals In Firefighting Foam | 3/4/2022
• Veterans Who Love Their Country Gathered In Kentucky To Insist The Government Do The Right Thing | 3/3/2022
• Ground-Water Contamination At Military Installation Caused Cancer In Thousands of Veterans | 3/2/2022
• Private Homeowners and Renters Are Largely Unaware Of the Toxic Chemical That Contaminate Their Everyday Drinking Wellwater | 3/1/2022
• Individuals and Families Should Test The Drinking Water For Carcinogenic Chemical Contamination | 2/28/2022

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