New EPA Rules To Limit ‘Forever’ Chemicals

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The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first steps to limit the amount of harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water.

The agency is proposing new rules for six PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Water providers would be required to monitor for the chemicals and reduce them below a level set by the EPA.

PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they don't degrade in the environment. They're found in nonstick pan coatings, food packaging, cleaning products, water-repellent fabrics and firefighting foams. They're also used in manufacturing facilities. Some estimates say there are as many as 14,000 of them.

Because they don't degrade, PFAS can build up in the human body and lead to health problems, including effects on the immune and cardiovascular systems and the thyroid, as well as an elevated risk for certain types of cancer.

Studies have found PFAS in the drinking water of dozens of U.S. cities.

“The science is clear that long-term exposure to PFAS is linked to significant health risks,” Radhika Fox, assistant EPA administrator for water, told the Associated Press.

(NO ESCAPING THEM: PFAS Substances Found Nearly Everywhere)

In June, the EPA warned that forever chemicals were a greater danger to human health than regulators previously thought with exposure levels at just 0.004 to 0.02 parts per trillion. The proposed regulation would require water utilities to detect and reduce PFAS contamination at 4 parts per trillion.

Agency officials said 4 parts per trillion is the lowest level at which they can be accurately measured and detected, according to The Washington Post.

“The experts here felt this was the level of stringency required to protect public health, and that the law would allow for us,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. “This is a transformative action that we’re taking.”

(EVEN IN THE RAIN: 'Forever Chemicals' Make Rainwater Everywhere Unsafe To Drink)

Meeting the new limits could cost water utilities about $38 billion, according to an estimate prepared by engineering consultant Black & Veatch for the American Water Works Association, an industry group. AP reported that the consultant estimated 4% to 12% of water providers nationally will need to treat for PFAS under the proposed rule.

Another industry group, the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, said the proposal is “a step in the right direction” but compliance will be challenging. "Significant rate increases will be required for most of the systems” that must remove PFAS, the group said.

Federal money will be available to help.

“For the millions of people with PFAS in their tap water, strong national drinking water standards cannot come soon enough,” Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, a lawyer with the environmental group Earthjustice, said in a statement. “Today’s proposal is a necessary and long overdue step towards addressing the nation’s PFAS crisis, but what comes next is equally important. EPA must resist efforts to weaken this proposal, move quickly to finalize health-protective limits on these six chemicals, and address the remaining PFAS that continue to poison drinking water supplies and harm communities across the country.”

The EPA expects to have a final rule ready by the end of the year.

M​ore On PFAS

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