"Several major US lobby firms that are working for chemical industry interest groups to fight against strict regulation of harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water are also representing local governments wrestling with health and water quality issues stemming from the contamination, according to a new report.
The report, released Tuesday from F Minus, a nonprofit organization that tracks lobbyists, and the children’s health and climate justice organization Mothers Out Front, reviewed 2024 and 2025 federal lobbying disclosure forms and found that four lobbying firms that have chemical industry clients — Holland & Knight, CGCN Group, Mehlman Consulting, and Marshall & Popp — also represented several healthcare organizations and nonprofits that advocate on behalf of people dealing with cancer and other health problems that are linked to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. In addition to some cancers, PFAS have been linked to high cholesterol, decreased immune response to vaccines, liver damage, thyroid problems, reproductive issues and other health issues.
“We were astonished to see how successful some of the firms have been simultaneously representing chemical interests and then also representing local governments who are coping with the impacts of forever chemicals in their drinking water,” said James Browning, founder and executive director of F Minus.
There is currently a patchwork of state regulations for PFAS in drinking water, which can directly impact local governments and their water utilities. At the federal level, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last month proposed dropping limits for four PFAS in drinking water established during the Biden administration, saying the changes were rushed and not in compliance with federal law. The American Chemistry Council (ACC), a client of multiple firms in the new report, had previously filed a joint lawsuit along with the National Association of Manufacturers against the EPA over the regulations."
