Fourteen state attorneys general are asking the EPA to classify the abortion drug mifepristone as a water contaminant. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Republican attorneys general from 14 states and 19 Republican members of Congress are calling on Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin to classify and regulate the abortion drug mifepristone as a water contaminant.
Mifepristone is prescribed as part of a two-drug regimen for abortion. Studies have shown that medication abortion is sheltered and effective.
In a letter last Friday, state officials argued that mifepristone poses “a growing threat to the nation’s waterways.” The letter was signed by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
A parallel letterThe bill, spearheaded by Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, made similar claims and was signed by 18 other Republican members of Congress.
Environmental Health Sciences Experts say There is no evidence that mifepristone in wastewater is harmful to the environment or humans.
“There is no evidence that medication abortion has an impact on U.S. water systems, including drinking water and aquatic wildlife,” said the Center for Biological Diversity, which advocates for stronger environmental protections. says on its website.
The GOP letters cite a 1996 statement from the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research that said mifepristone is “not expected” to have harmful effects on the environment, while acknowledging that the drug can enter the environment through excretion or disposal of drug waste. But traces of drugs in the water are common, experts say, and government environmental agencies and scientists test the water for harmful contaminants as part of protocols and surveys.
In 2025, lawmakers in seven states introduced nine bills containing claims about medication abortion and its impact on the environment and water. State lawmakers also introduced legislation requiring testing for mifepristone in water systems.
Last year, Republican members of Congress expressed similar concerns in a letter to the EPA.
The US Supreme Court decided last month to maintain telemedicine access to mifepristone until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit rules on the merits of the high-risk federal lawsuit Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration.
Abortion with medication considered almost two thirds of all medically performed abortions in states without abortion bans in 2023, according to the latest available data from the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on advancing reproductive rights.
Stateline reporter Nada Hassanein can be reached at nhassanein@stateline.org.
This story was originally produced by State borderwhich is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network that includes West Virginia Watch, and is a 501c(3) public charity supported by grants and a coalition of donors.
