The Environmental Protection Agency announced it would rescind the limitations on certain “forever chemicals” in drinking water, which the Biden administration set last year.
The Biden-era rules established the first federal drinking water limits for PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, which are linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and low birth weight in babies. Known as “forever chemicals” for their persistence in the environment, PFAS are found in air, water, and soil and take thousands of years to break down.
The EPA will scrap limits on three PFAS types, including GenX substances prevalent in North Carolina, and a limit on a mixture of PFAS, opting to reconsider these regulations. Standards for PFOA and PFOS, two widespread PFAS, will remain at 4 parts per trillion—the lowest detectable level—but utilities now have until 2031, two years longer than originally mandated, to comply.
“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 decision, first reported by The Washington Post, aligns with arguments from water utilities suing the EPA. They claimed the agency lacked the authority to regulate PFAS mixtures and failed to justify limits on newer PFAS, now rescinded. Utilities also sought the extended compliance timeline, citing the high cost of treatment systems.
The Biden rule was estimated to cost $1.5 billion annually, and utilities warned of higher customer bills, especially in small communities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $9 billion for PFAS mitigation, and utilities have secured multimillion-dollar settlements from PFAS manufacturers like 3M and Chemours.
Health advocates criticized the rollback.
“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 of the Natural Resources Defense Council, calling the move illegal under the Safe Drinking Water Act, per CBS News.
Melanie Benesh of the Environmental Working Group noted that focusing only on PFOA and PFOS could reduce the need for broader treatment systems, potentially leaving newer PFAS unaddressed.
“You really reduce what utilities have to do to make sure that the other, newer generation PFAS are captured,” she said.
In North Carolina, activist Emily Donovan, who campaigned for GenX limits, expressed dismay.
“This current administration promised voters it would ‘Make America Healthy Again’ but rescinding part of the PFAS drinking water standards does no such thing,” she said, according to CBS.
Utilities, however, welcomed the flexibility.
“This gives water pros more time to deal with the ones we know are bad, and we are going to need more time,” said Mike McGill of WaterPIO.
About 12% of U.S. utilities exceed the Biden limits, primarily for PFOA and PFOS. Legal challenges from both utilities and environmental groups are expected to continue.