RFK RFK Jr and Lee Zeldin of the EPA ‘Declare War’ on Microplastics in Drinking Water
These tiny pieces of plastic, less than 5mm in size, can remain in our environment for hundreds or thousands of years. They may also accumulate in our bodies, hearts and brains, causing untold damage.
For the first time, the EPA is adding microplastics and pharmaceuticals to its products Contaminated list of candidates for drinking water, which will help determine funding priorities and pave the way for possible future regulation including Congress.
HHS is also launching Systematic Targeting for Microplastics – or STOMP – for Studying how microplastics accumulate In the body.
Kennedy spoke with Fox News in an exclusive interview accompanying the EPA/DHHS announcement.
Dr Mark Siegel said: “Microplastics, which are less than 5mm in size, can persist in the environment for hundreds or thousands of years.” “It may also accumulate in our bodies, hearts and minds, causing untold damage. (Istock)
He said: “We do not have the science that distinguishes between the effects of these different types of plastic, and perhaps if we identify those effects, the harmful effects can be eliminated immediately, because you can replace them with something else.”
“Our job — and we are really at the limit of our power right now — is to try to answer these questions before we take further action.”
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Kennedy pointed to emerging science indicating the direct impacts of microplastics on public health.
“Some of them may be benign and others may be very harmful,” he warned. “Science shows that if they cause inflammation, they cause oxidative stress.”
“As a body, they are Endocrine disruptors“So it interferes with fertility,” he added.
For the first time, EPA is adding microplastics and pharmaceuticals to its list of candidate drinking water contaminants, which will help prioritize funding and set the stage for potential future regulation involving Congress. (Istock)
Emerging research also indicates a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes Neurodegenerative disease When microplastics are present at the cellular level, “the time to act is now,” according to Dr. Leonardo Trasandi, professor of pediatrics and population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
During a panel discussion accompanying the announcement, Trasandi compared the issue to efforts to curb it Main exposure In the 1970s, when the government took action as soon as a risk was identified, even before all the research was completed.
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Kennedy, who has a long history of combating chemicals in the environment, blames big corporations for causing the problem and wants them to clean it up. “That’s the lesson we’re all supposed to learn in kindergarten — that you clean up after yourself, you don’t force the public to do it.”
He noted that the same approach applies to pharmaceuticals that make their way into the environment.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin holds a sample of microplastic during an announcement at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 2026. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
“It’s very troubling, especially for our children. They are now swimming in a toxic soup. It’s coming from everywhere,” Kennedy warned. “It’s coming from Their food. It’s coming from agriculture. It comes from air and water, and it comes from pharmaceutical drugs.
He continued, “He directed his agency under President Trump to conduct this study so that we could begin to regulate the discharge of these chemicals.” “You can remove a lot of it through carbon technology and other technologies.”
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Program director Zeldin said he believes the fight against microplastics is a tough one A bipartisan issue. He calls for more education and transparency when it comes to microplastics and public health, warning against the federal government proposing a one-size-fits-all solution.
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“You want to be able to get the answers, and you want to see the gold standard science,” he said. “You’re asking for radical transparency. You’re looking at the website, and it ignores what you came to that web page to look for. I feel like there’s a gap in communication — and when there’s a gap in communication, there’s a gap in trust.”
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin speaks alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the microplastics announcement at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. on April 2, 2026. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
Zeldin and Kennedy have been working closely under President Trump Make America healthy again agenda and say they enjoy working together.
“There is not an American in this country who cannot be heard one way or another Secretary Kennedy“It is an honor to serve alongside him,” Zeldin said.
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“I like everyone in that government, but Lee and I work very closely, and I’ve really enjoyed the relationship,” Kennedy added.
It is clear that they want to continue this relationship, even if their roles change. “You never know what’s going to happen,” Kennedy said.
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