Republican Attorneys General Request EPA Add Abortion Pill to Water Contamination Monitoring List

Fourteen Republican attorneys general, led by Missouri's Catherine Hanaway, have formally requested that the Environmental Protection Agency add mifepristone to its Contaminant Candidate List, which tracks pharmaceuticals for potential monitoring or regulation. The attorneys general argue that since mifepristone use is at an all-time high and most at-home abortions result in waste being flushed into wastewater systems, the drug could persist in water supplies and pose health risks, particularly to pregnant women. The letter notes that conventional wastewater treatment is not designed to remove such contaminants. However, the article acknowledges that limited environmental health research currently exists to suggest mifepristone metabolites pose a genuine threat of hormone disruption. The request follows the FDA's 2023 decision to remove in-person screening requirements for obtaining mifepristone, which anti-abortion advocates argue has increased online pill sales. The EPA announced in April it would be adding hundreds of medications to its monitoring list, including antidepressants, though mifepristone was not initially included.