Trump EPA touts ‘astronomical’ taxpayer savings 

A top Environmental Protection Agency official told reporters Monday that the agency’s new strategy to tackle long-lasting chemicals could eventually deliver “astronomical” savings to ratepayers and taxpayers.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are a class of chemicals commonly dubbed “forever chemicals.” The EPA announced its inaugural PFAS Technology, Evaluation, Coordination, and Harmonization (PFAS TECH) strategy Monday. The strategy aims to spur innovation in technologies that treat and destroy PFAS and could ultimately deliver significant savings for taxpayers and ratepayers, officials said.

Tom Croci, a senior EPA official, said in response to a Heartlander News question during a Monday press call that state and local governments across America own sites, such as municipal airports and fire-training facilities, that are contaminated with PFAS. The treatment or cleanup costs ultimately fall on ratepayers or taxpayers.

“The savings could be astronomical,” Croci said, adding that savings could be “exponential” as new treatment technologies are developed and spread across the country.

Jess Kramer, assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Water and the agency’s point person on PFAS, said the cost of future PFAS treatment would be passed directly to ratepayers and that the strategy aims to bring those costs down. Kramer said the agency does not currently have a “holistic cost estimate” of the potential savings.

There are about 5,000 public-use airports in the U.S. and roughly 2,000 fire training centers, although the number containing contaminants was not immediately known.

Researchers at the Northeastern University in Boston documented roughly 2,200 sites contaminated by PFAS and another 80,000 where contamination is likely in an August 2025 analysis for the PFAS Project Lab.