EPA to Roll Back Regulations on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Water. What’s Next

The Environmental Protection Agency announced plans on May 18 to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” in the country’s drinking water along with $1 billion in funding − but it includes first rolling back some existing regulations.

In the announcement Monday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency is proposing to “rescind and restart” the regulation of certain chemicals, blaming former President Joe Biden’s administration of alleged procedural errors. The EPA will allow for a public comment period.

“Only after the public has had the opportunity to comment on that proposal, and when the EPA has then finalized the determination to regulate, may the EPA then publish a proposed rule regarding a new regulation of that contaminant,” Zeldin said.

In the proposed plans, drinking water companies can also request an additional two years to comply with limits, extending the deadline to 2031.

While the EPA says this strengthens “practical implementation,” critics like the Environmental Working Group say the move will dismantle the “most significant public health advance in drinking water regulation in a generation.”

“The Trump EPA is caving to chemical industry lobbyists and water utility pressure – and in doing so it is condemning millions of Americans to drink contaminated water for years to come,” the EWG’s president and co-founder Ken Cook said in a news release.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. denied claims that the EPA is trying to roll back PFAS regulations, saying during the announcement event that Zeldin and his staff are “completely committed” to reducing PFAS exposures in a way that’s “legal and practical.”

The latest announcement comes a month after the EPA and HHS said the Trump administration is cracking down on contaminants in the nation’s drinking water, including PFAS, microplastics and pharmaceuticals.

Reporting by Sara Moniuszko, USA TODAY / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect