The ag industry is paying more attention to a group of highly persistent chemicals known as PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have been found in drinking water and groundwater throughout the United States.

The Environmental Protection Agency has released final guidance listing factors to consider when deciding whether to require a permit for discharges from a point source that travel through groundwater before reaching a “water of the U.S.”

In an important decision for agriculture, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Clean Water Act permits may be required when pollutants make their way through groundwater into a lake, river or other navigable water.

The Trump administration's proposed changes to the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) “decreases protection for our nation’s waters and does not support the objective of restoring and maintaining ‘the chemical, physical and biological integrity’ of these waters,” EPA’s Science Advisory Board said.

Members of the Supreme Court expressed concern Wednesday about pollution that reaches navigable waters by traveling through groundwater, but the justices also worried that residential septic tanks could get swept into the regulatory solutions.