WASHINGTON — Senior officials at the Environmental Protection Agency directed scientists over the summer to assess whether the government could develop methods for detecting traces of abortion pills in wastewater — a practice sought by anti-abortion activists seeking to restrict the medication.

The highly unusual request appears to have originated from a letter sent from 25 Republican members of Congress to Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator, asking the agency to investigate how the abortion drug mifepristone might be contaminating the water supply.

“Are there existing EPA-approved methods for detecting mifepristone and its active metabolites in water supplies?” the lawmakers asked at the end of the public letter, sent June 18, an effort led by Sen. James Lankford and Rep. Josh Brecheen,

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