EPA Proposes Giving Water Systems More Time to Remove ‘Forever Chemicals’

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials on May 18 floated letting water system administrators request and receive more time to remove so-called forever chemicals, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Systems have a deadline of 2029 to take perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid from the water supply. The proposed rule would let systems opt into an extension of two years to comply with limits for the two PFAS types, if systems meet criteria the EPA lays out.

“That doesn’t mean a blanket delay,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said at a press conference in Washington.

“Every American deserves to know that the water coming out of their tap is safe. and the EPA is going to deliver on that, by following the law, by following the science, and giving water systems the time, tools, and support they need to actually get the job done,” he said.

Benefits of pushing back the deadline include allowing more time for technological advancement, which will drive down the cost for system administrators, officials said.

The EPA also said it would be providing nearly $1 billion in funding to communities described as small or disadvantaged for the removal of PFAS and other contaminants. The newly announced funds take the total in grants to those places to $5 billion across five years.

Zeldin, accompanied by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said it is important to address PFAS, because research shows they can cause serious health problems such as liver issues and cancer and persist in the environment as well as the human body.

“EPA’s actions today take important steps to reduce exposure, strengthen drinking water protections, and support communities as we work to address environmental contributors to chronic disease and advance the Make America Healthy Again agenda,” Kennedy, who appeared with Zeldin, said in a statement.

In a second proposed rule, the EPA said it was looking to address concerns about whether the law was followed when the Biden administration rolled out regulations for another set of so-called forever chemicals, which include perfluorobutane sulfonic acid. The proposal asks for comments on whether the previous administration’s regulations are deficient under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Zeldin told the briefing that the last administration rushed regulations, skipping certain legal steps, which left the rules open to be struck down in court.

“That approach makes for a good press release, and it doesn’t make for cleaner water,” Zeldin said. “Or we can do it the right way. We’re going to follow the law, follow the science … give water systems standards they can build their compliance programs around, and … tackle PFAS not just at tap, but across its full life cycle.”