Vander Ark said on the company’s Thursday earnings call that “automation and AI will impact everything we do.” PFAS: Vander Ark said Republic is ahead of its expectation to achieve $100 million in PFAS-related business in 2026, which accrues mostly to the Environmental Solutions segment. When asked about New York state’s proposal to regulate PFAS in landfill leachate, Vander Ark said he was “ not opposed to regulation, but it's got to be sensible regulation.” Vander Ark said the company would continue to prioritize pricing over volume to maximize returns, leading to the company exiting some residential contracts. Vander Ark said the vehicles were exceeding expectations on battery performance and uptime.