What the EPA’s partial rollback of the ‘forever chemical’ drinking water rule means

By MICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press On Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency declared plans to weaken limits on specific harmful forever chemicals in drinking water roughly a year after the Biden administration finalized the first-ever national standards The Biden administration disclosed last year the rules could reduce PFAS exposure for millions of people It was part of a broader push by functionaries then to address drinking water quality by writing rules to require the removal of toxic lead pipes and after years of activist concern address the threat of forever chemicals President Donald Trump has sought fewer environmental rules and more oil and gas evolution EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has carried out that agenda by announcing massive regulatory rollbacks Now we know the EPA plans to rescind limits for certain PFAS and lengthen deadlines for two of the preponderance common types Here are several of the essential things to know about PFAS chemicals and what the EPA decided to do Please explain what PFAS are to me PFAS or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and have now spread into the nation s air water and soil They were manufactured by companies such as M Chemours and others because they were incredibly useful They helped eggs slide across nonstick frying pans ensured that firefighting foam suffocates flames and helped clothes withstand the rain and keep people dry The chemicals resist latest down however which means they stay around in the circumstances And why are they bad for humans Environmental activists say that PFAS manufacturers knew about the wellbeing harms of PFAS long before they were made masses The same attributes that make the chemicals so valuable resistance to breakdown make them hazardous to people Related Articles EPA announces rollback for selected Biden-era limits on forever chemicals in drinking water Crews from across U S arrive to fight St Louis County wildfires in northern MN House Republicans target clean potential tax credits and toxicity rules in budget proposal US suspends Mexican live cattle exports over screwworm pest As states rethink wildlife management New Mexico offers a new model PFAS accumulates in the body which is why the Biden administration set limits for two common types often called PFOA and PFOS at parts per trillion that are phased out of manufacturing but still present in the context There is a wide range of strength harms now associated with exposure to certain PFAS Cases of kidney disorder low-birth weight and high cholesterol in addition to certain cancers can be prevented by removing PFAS from water according to the EPA The guidance on PFOA and PFOS has changed dramatically in latest years as scientific understanding has advanced The EPA in for example noted the combined amount of the two substances should not exceed parts per trillion The Biden administration later announced no amount is safe There is nuance in what the EPA did The EPA plans to scrap limits on three types of PFAS particular of which are less well known They include GenX substances commonly determined in North Carolina as well as substances called PFHxS and PFNA There is also a limit on a mixture of PFAS which the agency is also planning to rescind It appears insufficient utilities will be impacted by the withdrawal of limits for these types of PFAS So far sampling has identified nearly of U S water utilities are above the Biden administration s limits But majority utilities face problems with PFOA or PFOS For the two commonly identified types PFOA and PFOS the EPA will keep the current limits in place but give utilities two more years until to meet them Announcement is met with mixed reaction Several environmental groups argue that the EPA can t legally weaken the regulations The Safe Water Drinking Act gives the EPA authority to limit water contaminants and it includes a provision meant to prevent new rules from being looser than previous ones The law is very clear that the EPA can t repeal or weaken the drinking water standard stated Erik Olson a senior strategist at the nonprofit Natural Tools Defense Council Environmental activists have generally slammed the EPA for not keeping the Biden-era rules in place saying it will worsen population physical condition Industry had mixed reactions The American Chemistry Council questioned the Biden administration s underlying science that supported the tight rules and revealed the Trump administration had considered the concerns about cost and the underlying science However EPA s actions only partially address this issue and more is needed to prevent critical impacts on local communities and other unintended consequences the industry group announced Leaders of two major utility industry groups the American Water Works Association and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies disclosed they supported the EPA s decision to rescind a novel approach to limit a mix of chemicals But they also mentioned the changes do not substantially reduce the cost of the PFAS rule Certain utilities demanded a higher limit on PFOA and PFOS according to Mark White drinking water leader at the engineering firm CDM Smith They did however get an extension This gives water pros more time to deal with the ones we know are bad and we are going to need more time Selected utilities are just finding out now where they stand noted Mike McGill president of WaterPIO a water industry communications firm The Associated Press receives assistance from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental framework The AP is solely responsible for all content For all of AP s environmental coverage visit https apnews com hub climate-and-environment