EPA announces rollback for some Biden-era limits on so-called forever chemicals in drinking water

By MICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press The Environmental Protection Agency noted Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on a few so-called forever chemicals in drinking water that were finalized last year while maintaining standards for two common ones The Biden administration set the first federal drinking water limits for PFAS or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances finding they increased the hazard of cardiovascular infection certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight Those limits on PFAS which are man-made and don t easily break down in nature were expected to reduce their levels in drinking water for millions of people Limits on three types of PFAS including so-called GenX substances exposed in North Carolina will be scrapped and reconsidered by the agency as will a limit on a mixture of several types of PFAS FILE Vials containing samples of forever chemicals known as PFAS sit in a tray April at a U S Environmental Protection Agency lab in Cincinnati AP Photo Joshua A Bickel File The Biden administration s rule also set standards for the two common types of PFAS referred to as PFOA and PFOS at 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 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 noted EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin The maturation was first shared by The Washington Post It appears minimal utilities will be impacted by the withdrawal of limits for certain newer types of PFAS So far sampling has discovered nearly of U S water utilities are above the Biden administration s limits But the vast majority of utilities face problems with PFOA or PFOS Wellbeing advocates praised the Biden administration for the tight limits But water utilities took issue with the rule saying remedy systems are expensive to install and that customers will end up paying more for water The utilities sued the EPA The EPA s actions align with particular of the arguments utilities made in their lawsuit They argued that the EPA lacked the authority to regulate a mixture of PFAS and declared the agency didn t properly backing limits on several newer types of PFAS that are now rescinded They also petitioned for the now-granted two-year extension Erik Olson a senior strategic director of wellbeing at the nonprofit Natural Support Defense Council reported the move is illegal The Safe Water Drinking Act gives the EPA authority to limit contaminants in drinking water and it includes a provision meant to prevent new rules from being looser than previous ones Related Articles Trump s Middle East visit comes as his family deepens its business crypto ties in the region Trump administration rescinds curbs on AI chip exports to foreign markets What to expect at RFK Jr s first Senate hearing as physical condition secretary House works into the night as Republicans push ahead on Trump s big bill Trump tells Gulf leaders Iran must cease patronage of proxy groups as part of any nuclear deal With a stroke of the pen EPA is making a mockery of the Trump administration s promise to deliver clean water for Americans Olson explained Manufactured by companies like Chemours and M PFAS were incredibly useful in a multitude of applications - among them helping clothes to withstand rain and ensuring that firefighting foam snuffed out flames But the chemicals also accumulate in the body As science advanced in latest years evidence of harm at far lower levels became clearer The Biden-era EPA estimated the rule will cost about billion to implement each year Water utility associations say the costly rules combined with latest mandates to replace harmful lead pipes will raise residents bills and fall hardest on small communities with meager support The Biden administration did work to address cost concerns The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided billion for chemicals like PFAS and utilities have won multibillion-dollar settlements against PFAS polluters that will help Certain utilities have been surprised to find out they are over the limits This gives water pros more time to deal with the ones we know are bad and we are going to need more time Particular utilities are just finding out now where they stand and that s almost too late already for commented Mike McGill president of WaterPIO a water industry communications firm But what utilities really craved was a higher limit on PFOA and PFOS according to Mark White drinking water global practice leader at the engineering firm CDM Smith He individuals the utility industry will continue to sue over those limits Dissatisfied environmental groups will likely file challenges too The Associated Press receives advocacy from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental guidelines The AP is solely responsible for all content For all of AP s environmental coverage visit https apnews com hub climate-and-environment