EPA Prioritizes Fluoride Review While Nitrate Pollution Remains Unaddressed

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is fast-tracking a review of fluoride health risks in drinking water, a move supported by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite decades of endorsement by health organizations. Meanwhile, the agency continues to delay action on nitrate contamination, a widespread problem stemming from agricultural runoff that has persisted for over 15 years. Nitrate pollution, primarily from livestock manure and fertilizers, contaminates groundwater and rivers, posing serious health risks such as cancer, thyroid disease, and birth defects. Experts argue that political pressure from the agriculture industry has stalled regulatory progress. Some rural communities now face the burden of installing costly nitrate filtration systems to ensure safe drinking water. As large-scale farming expands, nitrate contamination is expected to worsen. Critics urge the EPA to give equal—if not greater—attention to nitrate pollution, which remains an urgent but underregulated threat to public health and environmental equity.

12-05-2025