This month, the Trump administration announced what may be the biggest win for the Make America Healthy Again movement on an environmental issue to date. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that would, for the first time, formally flag microplastics and pharmaceuticals in drinking water as threats that deserve federal attention — putting them on its list of contaminants that merit study, tracking, and possible future regulation. The Department of Health and Human Services also announced a $144 million ARPA-H program to standardize how microplastics are measured in the human body, study how they may cause harm, and explore ways to reduce them.
But there’s reason for skepticism. The announcement doesn’t set a new legal limit for microplastics in drinking water, and it doesn’t require utilities to remove them. Even if the rule is finalized, the EPA would still have to take more steps before Americans see binding legal changes.
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