Notwithstanding the proposed 50% reduction in EPA’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget , the agency has identified reducing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Risks to the Public as an Agency Priority Goal (APG). The APGs will guide the agency’s work through September 30, 2027. APGs are used to accelerate progress on select Administration and EPA priorities and implementation will be supported through two-year APG Action Plans.
The PFAS APG encompasses four stated commitments: strengthening the science, fulfilling statutory obligations, enhancing communication, and building partnerships. The FY 2027 budget reflects these commitments across multiple program areas with several concrete milestones anticipated over the next two years.
The budget provides $127.4 million for the Drinking Water Program, which includes a $9 million increase specifically for water emergency preparedness and technical assistance to address contaminants such as lead and PFAS. The Drinking Water Program aims to reduce the number of community water systems in noncompliance with health-based standards from 3,511 to 2,443 by the end of 2027.
On the cleanup side, the Superfund Program will continue to oversee the growing number of PFAS-related cleanups at the Department of War, Department of Energy, and other federal agency sites. In FY 2027, EPA proposes $402.9 million to ensure progress towards expediting cleanup of Superfund and Brownfields sites.
The budget also reflects continued investment in PFAS research across multiple programs, including developing methods to evaluate PFAS in waste, soil, sediment, and groundwater, investigating PFAS fate and transport, and studying disposal and destruction methods. On recommendation from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), EPA has also launched the PFAS OUTreach Initiative (PFAS OUT) to support public drinking water systems PFAS challenges.
The PFAS APG will be tracked through quarterly progress reports published on www.Performance.gov. EPA has also designated addressing PFAS exposure as one of the six National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives (NECI) for FY 2024 to 2027. Each of these NECIs addresses an environmental or public health challenge that requires additional resources and a concerted national effort. These developments indicate that EPA intends to focus on PFAS and prioritize agency resources to investigate and pursue enforcement actions related to PFAS.