On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its support for drinking water standards concerning two hazardous “forever chemicals” that impact tap water for millions of Americans. However, it indicated plans to extend the deadline for relaxing regulations on four additional related substances.
PFAS refers to a vast category of chemicals commonly found in daily products, including non-stick cookingware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant carpets, and fire-fighting foams.
Research shows that exposure to PFAS, or Polyfluoroalkyl substances, may lead to metabolic disorders, lower birth rates in women, developmental delays in children, and a heightened risk of certain cancers such as prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers. As stated by the EPA.
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is asking water providers for the first time to reduce the levels of six PFAS chemicals as close to zero as possible. He has imposed particularly stringent limits of four parts per 2 trillion units for two chemicals, known as PFOA and PFOS, which are frequently detected in drinking water systems.
The Trump administration endorsed these two PFAS regulations but allowed water providers to push back the deadline for compliance to 2031 by two additional years.
The EPA also announced the revocation of restrictions on four other chemicals.
“We are working to uphold national standards to safeguard Americans from harmful PFOAs and PFOS,” said EPA administrator Lee Zeldin in a statement. “At the same time, we aim to provide common-sense flexibility by allowing more time for compliance,” he added. “The EPA will continue utilizing regulatory and enforcement mechanisms to hold polluters accountable.”
Some efforts to relax PFAS regulations followed legal challenges from trade organizations and water providers connected to the chemical industry against the Biden administration’s restrictions.
These chemicals are so widespread that they can be detected in the blood of nearly every individual in the United States. Government studies have shown that PFAS chemicals are present in almost half of the country’s tap water.
In 2022, the EPA reported that these chemicals can cause harm at exposure levels “much lower than previously understood,” indicating that current exposure levels are nearly unsafe.
Under Biden-era regulations, water operators were mandated to monitor PFAS levels in the water supply. They also needed to inform the public and take action to lower contamination levels if they exceeded the prescribed limits: four parts for PFOA and PFOS, with 10 trillion parts for the other four chemicals.
These four chemicals include GenX, once deemed a safer alternative to PFOA, but now associated with liver, kidney, and immune system damage, along with developmental issues and cancer in animal studies. The other chemicals—PFHX, PFNA, and PFBS—are also linked to various negative health outcomes.
The agency intends to initiate a new rule-making process for these four chemicals in the fall, with plans to finalize new regulations by next spring.
The government’s initiative was first reported by the Washington Post.
Health and environmental advocates criticized these actions.
“We are committed to collaborating closely with our customers,” stated Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear, an environmental organization focused on GenX and PFAS pollution in the Cape Fear River of North Carolina.
“This administration has promised voters to ‘make America healthy again,’ yet it seems inconsistent to rescind some PFAS drinking water standards,” she said. “This is disrespectful to communities affected by PFAS contamination who are suffering from severe health issues and losses.”
Eric D. Olson, Senior Strategy Director for Health at the Natural Resources Defense Council, remarked that the EPA’s approach offers “reassuring but conservative comfort.”
However, he also pointed out that the agency’s attempts to roll back drinking water standards contravene the no-backsliding provisions stipulated in the Safe Drinking Water Act.
“The law clearly states that the EPA cannot eliminate or undermine drinking water standards,” he emphasized. “This behavior is not only damaging but is also against the law.”
Industry groups that have filed lawsuits against the Biden administration’s PFAS rules, including the American Water Association, the American Chemical Council, and the National Manufacturers Association, did not provide immediate comments.
In a statement accompanying the EPA’s announcement, Alan Roberson, executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Managers, expressed his support for the Trump administration’s framework. This association represents drinking water program managers across all 50 states.
Roberson noted that states and water systems are “struggling with tight timelines” under Biden-era regulations to test for PFAS and to establish the infrastructure needed to filter these chemicals from the water supply.
This announcement follows Zeldin’s recent disclosure of a series of initiatives to combat PFAS contamination.
The agency mentioned plans to create guidelines on the permissible PFAS discharge volumes from plants and to collaborate with Congress on how to hold polluters accountable.
Documents from the Trump administration highlighted strategies to transition away from paper straws, while also stressing the health dangers posed by PFAS.
Maintaining stringent regulations for PFOA and PFOS is expected to impose a significant financial burden on water operators. The EPA estimates compliance costs could reach approximately $1.5 billion annually, while utilities believe this figure could double, ultimately impacting the public through increased water bills.
James L. Ferraro, an environmental attorney representing several water companies, stated that while the Trump administration’s stance represents a middle ground, “one utility didn’t necessarily agree with it.”
The chemicals PFOA and PFOS, which are under strict EPA oversight, remain “the most frequently detected due to their widespread use over many years,” and pose an ongoing challenge for numerous utilities, he explained.
Many environmental organizations argue that the costs associated with cleaning up PFAS should ultimately be borne by the chemical manufacturers. They note that evidence indicating the risks of PFAS has been hidden by chemical companies for decades, as revealed by lawsuits, industry documents, and litigation. According to peer-reviewed research.
Source: www.nytimes.com
