Republicans urge EPA mifepristone classification

Republican attorneys general from 14 states, led by Catherine Hanaway of United States — Missouri, and 19 Republican members of United States, led by Chris Smith, have formally requested that Guyana — Guyana Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin classify the abortion medication Mifepristone as a water contaminant. They argue that the drug poses a growing threat to the United States' waterways, citing a 1996 United States — Food and Drug Administration statement that acknowledged the drug might enter the environment. However, environmental health science experts, including the Center for Biological Diversity, state there is no evidence that mifepristone in wastewater causes environmental or human harm. This action follows previous concerns raised by Republican members of United States last year and the introduction of bills in seven states in 2025 calling for testing for mifepristone in water systems. The request comes amidst ongoing legal battles regarding mifepristone access, including a recent United States Supreme Court>>> decision to preserve telehealth access pending a ruling by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in the United States — Louisiana v. United States — Food and Drug Administration lawsuit. The Guttmacher Institute reports that medication abortion accounted for nearly two-thirds of clinician-provided abortions in states without bans in 2023.