EPA to revise rules for ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

The Environmental Protection Agency announced this week that it plans to rescind and reconsider limits on four “forever chemicals” under a landmark drinking water standard implemented last year by President Joe Biden (Source: “EPA will weaken rule curbing ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water,” Washington Post, May 13).
 
The drinking water rules were adopted as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to limit public exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), hazardous chemicals linked to a range of serious illnesses. The original rule covered six common PFAS contaminants, including PFOA, a known human carcinogen, and PFOS, a likely carcinogen.
 
The EPA estimates that more than 158 million Americans are exposed to PFAS through their drinking water.
 
The agency plans to maintain current rules for PFOA and PFOS, though it will extend the deadline for compliance from 2029 to 2031.
 
In its announcement, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the changes will “protect Americans from PFOA and PFOS in their drinking water” while providing “common-sense flexibility in the form of additional time for compliance.”
 
The EPA did not provide additional comment, but during a congressional hearing Wednesday, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) pressed Zeldin on whether the agency would “weaken” PFAS standards.
 
“That is not accurate,” Zeldin said in response. “That is not what the agency announced.”
 
The EPA chief added that the agency will kick off a lengthy process for revising the PFAS limits. “But that doesn’t mean that it gets weaker,” he said. “The number might end up going lower, not higher.”