The EPA is walking back some of the toughest rules on “forever chemicals” in drinking water, dialing back protections that were supposed to cut down on the cancer-causing crap still lingering in our taps. These chemicals, known as PFAS, have been linked to all kinds of nasty health problems, from liver damage to developmental disorders, and they basically never break down once they hit the environment.
The Biden administration had slapped strict 4 parts per trillion limits on two of the worst offenders, PFOA and PFOS—the lowest amount they can actually detect. But now, the EPA’s giving water utilities a two-year grace period, pushing the compliance deadline from 2029 to 2031, claiming it’ll give smaller, rural systems more time to catch up.
Meanwhile, the agency is totally rethinking limits for four other PFAS chemicals, including the GenX stuff that’s been contaminating North Carolina’s water. Critics are already sounding the alarm, saying this rollback is a giveaway to industry and could violate the Safe Drinking Water Act, putting more people at risk.
The EPA says it’ll drop a proposed rule this fall and aims to lock it in by spring 2026, but until then, communities near industrial sites and military bases are stuck with the same old toxic water.
The Washington Post first broke the news.
Add comment
Comments