Local governments facing rising health, environmental, and economic harms from PFAS pollution should cut ties with lobbying firms who lobby for the American Chemistry Council, demand 32 health and climate groups in a statement released in conjunction with a new report about PFAS lobbyists from F Minus and Mothers Out Front. The report, Bad Chemistry, finds that 132 local governments and government agencies share lobbying firms with chemical trade associations that are working to weaken and defeat state and Congressional PFAS regulations. Among them, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) has long been the loudest voice of denialism when it comes to the health and environmental risks from exposure to PFAS and other chemicals. Emboldened by the anti-regulatory fervor of the Trump Administration and the appointment of several former senior ACC staffers to key positions at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ACC now supports the federal pre-emption of all state PFAS laws and regulations banning or otherwise regulating PFAS.
In California, two bills dealing with the PFAS crisis passed the Assembly in 2025 and appeared to be on their way to becoming law. SB 682 proposed banning PFAS in several categories of consumer products. SB 454 proposed creating a privately funded PFAS clean-up fund to assist local water agencies. As the Assembly was voting on these bills, F Minus revealed that several lobbying firms had been lobbying for SB 682 on behalf of clients such as water agencies, while also lobbying against the bill for industries whose products contain PFAS.
In Maryland, Prince George’s County is suing 3M over PFAS contamination of County waterways, even as Prince George’s County Schools and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission share a lobbying firm with the American Chemistry Council. In Maine, the Portland Water District has joined a multistate lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers, even as it shares a lobbying firm with the Cookware Sustainability Alliance, a trade association opposed to many state PFAS regulations.
Organizations calling for divestment from American Chemistry Council lobbyists
- F Minus
- Revolving Door Project
- Climate Conversation Brazoria County
- Parents Against PFAS
- For a Better Bayou
- UnKoch My Campus
- Generation Common Good
- GreenFaith
- Climate Conservation Brazoria County
- Nuclear Information and Resource Service
- Citizens Resistance at Fermi Two (CRAFT)
- 350 Brooklyn
- Turtle Island Restoration Network
- North American Climate, Conservation and Environment
- The Enviro Show
- 350 Conejo/San Fernando Valley
- Occupy Bergen County
- 7 Directions of Service
- 350 Hawaii
- Michigan Interfaith Power & Light
- Unitarian Universalists for Just Economic Community
- Oregon PeaceWorks
- GreenLatinos
- The People’s Justice Council
- Between the Waters
- Vessel Project of Louisiana
- Vegan Generation for Biodiversity
- Climate Justice Universities Union
- 350 NYC
- Sustainable Initiatives
- Third Act Maine
- 350 Colorado