The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday its intention to ease restrictions on certain “forever chemicals” in drinking water set last year, while maintaining regulations for two prevalent ones.
The Biden administration established the first nationwide drinking water limits for PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, due to their link to higher risks of cardiovascular issues, specific cancers, and low birth weights in infants. These limits were meant to lower PFAS levels in the drinking water of millions.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals that persist in the environment and are used in various products, including cookware, firefighting foams, and stain-resistant textiles.
Under the new rollback, limits on three types of PFAS, including GenX substances found in North Carolina, will be scrapped and reconsidered by the agency, as will a limit on a mixture of several types of PFAS.
The Biden administration’s rule also set standards for the two common types of PFAS, referred to as PFOA and PFOS, at 4 parts per trillion, effectively the lowest level at which they can be reliably detected. The EPA will keep those standards in place, but give utilities two extra years — until 2031 — to comply and treat for the chemicals.
“We are on a path to uphold the agency’s nationwide standards to protect Americans from PFOA and PFOS in their water. At the same time, we will work to provide common-sense flexibility in the form of additional time for compliance,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
The development was first reported by The Washington Post.
Environmental groups slammed the move.
“With a stroke of the pen, EPA is making a mockery of the Trump administration’s promise to deliver clean water for Americans,” said Erik Olson, a senior strategic director of health at the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council.
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