The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining standards for two common ones, the Associated Press reports.
The Biden administration set the first federal drinking water limits for PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, finding they increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and low birth weight in infants. Those limits on PFAS, which are man-made and don’t easily break down in nature, were expected to reduce their levels in drinking water for millions of people.
Limits on three types of PFAS, including so-called GenX substances found in North Carolina, will be scrapped and reconsidered by the agency, as will a limit on a mixture of several types of PFAS.
The Biden administration’s rule also set standards for the two common types of PFAS, referred to as PFOA and PFOS, at 4 parts per trillion, effectively the lowest level at which they can be reliably detected. The EPA will keep those standards in place but give utilities two extra years — until 2031 — to comply and treat for the chemicals.
It appears few utilities will be impacted by the withdrawal of limits for certain, newer types of PFAS. So far, sampling has found nearly 12% of U.S. water utilities are above the Biden administration’s limits, but the vast majority of utilities face problems with PFOA or PFOS.
Health advocates previously praised the Biden administration for the tight limits, but water utilities took issue with the rule and sued the EPA, saying treatment systems are expensive to install and that customers will end up paying more for water.
