Donald Trump wants to weaken protections against chemicals in drinking water
Environmental and Health Advocates Critices of the Trump Administration’s Decline of the PFOA and PFOS Rules for Drinking Water
The agency wants Americans to be aware of the risk of PFOA and PFOS in their water. The EPA Administrator said in a press release that they will give common-sense flexibility in the form of extra time for compliance. The agency wants to finalize the rule in the spring of 2026 with a more detailed proposal this fall.
Thousands of chemicals have been used for decades in a variety of products including clothing, cosmetics, upholstery and firefighting foams. They’re sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they contain strong molecular bonds that persist for decades. Long-term exposure can cause harm to human health, such as certain cancers and damage to the immune system.
The final level of limits doesn’t get weakened when the EPA follows the law, the head of the agency said at a congressional hearing.
Environmental and health advocates accused the proposed delays of being a threat to Americans. Mary Grant, water program director at the nonprofit Food and Water Watch said that today’s decision is shameful and dangerous, because it will allow continued contamination of our drinking water. It will cost lives.
“We strongly support the agency’s decision to rescind the regulations…and ensure future rulemakings respect the Safe Drinking Water Act process,” read a joint email statement from the heads of the American Water Works Association and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, two groups that have sued the EPA over its PFAS regulation.
They said the process requires the EPA tomaximize public health benefits in a cost-effective manner. This is important for water systems because of the process which helps ensure every dollar goes towards the best public health risks.
The Trump administration plans to weaken drinking water rules meant to protect Americans from “forever chemicals” that have been linked to cancer, reproductive risks, liver damage, and other health issues.
Health advocates worry that the move will delay the removal of these chemicals from drinking water and that more people will be exposed to chemicals that may contribute to chronic health problems.
New EPA limits on the most common forever chemicals: a new framework and a push to enforce the Biden-era rules by extending compliance deadlines
A senior science reporter with more than a decade of experience is covering energy and the environment. She is the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home and also a host of other shows.
Federal drinking water limits on the most common types of forever chemicals were finalized by the EPA last year. Today, the EPA announced an about-face. The agency now wants to exclude several types of the chemicals from the rule, including so-called GenX substances initially intended to replace older versions of forever chemicals but that ended up creating new concerns. It also proposed extending compliance deadlines for the two most prevalent forms of forever chemicals, and says it’ll establish a “framework” for more exemptions.
The limits on five widely used types of chemicals have been set by the Biden-era standards.
