Extinguishing A Candle in the Dark: Executive Authority and Politicized PFAS Science and Policy

• In Event: Truth Under Siege: Science in an Era of Executive Power

Abstract

How has the consolidation of executive authority impacted institutional legitimacy and the governance and regulatory efforts related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)? What types of institutional and organizational resistance have occurred in response to this politicization of PFAS science? To assess these issues, we utilize theoretical perspectives from STS and governance literature and legal-historical debates over Executive Authority to examine recent developments in PFAS governance in the United States. Efforts to manipulate the science and “truth” around PFAS contamination and their environmental and health consequences long predate the 47th Presidential administration. But the executive branch has seized on the current political opportunity window to consolidate its attacks on PFAS science and enable industry stakeholders to gain unfettered access and input in regulatory decision-making and governance, while maintaining a veneer of public and environmental health protections. The Administration’s tactics have involved highly partisan appointments to key federal agencies and attacks on the federal bureaucracy more broadly – especially organizations dedicated to environmental and public health protection - but also efforts to undermine the scientific findings and regulatory policies previously established by these bodies.

Authors

• Michael Lengefeld, Northeastern University

• Phil Brown, Northeastern University

• Alissa Cordner, Whitman College