The Trump administration EPA plans to weaken the limits of certain “chemicals forever” in drinking water
The environmental protection agency said on Wednesday that it planned to weaken the limits of some “Chemicals forever“In the drinking water which was finalized last year, while maintaining the standards for two municipalities.
Biden administration has set the first federal limits of drinking water for PFAs, or perfluoroalkyle and polyfluoroalkyle substances, noting that they increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies born with low birth weight. These limits had to reduce PFAS levels in drinking water for millions of people.
Commonly called “chemicals forever” ,, APFA are almost everywhere – in the air, waterAnd the soil – and can take thousands of years to decompose in the environment.
The limits of three types of PFA, including the so-called Genx substances found in North Carolina, will be removed and reconsidered by the agency, as is a limit on a mixture of several types of PFA.
The Biden administration rule has also established standards for the two common types of PFAS, called PFOA and VOS, at 4 parts per billion, actually the lowest level to which they can be reliably detected. The EPA will maintain these standards in place, but will give public services two additional years – until 2031 – to comply and treat chemicals.
“We are on the maintenance of the agency's national standards to protect the Americans from the PFOA and the OPPs in their water. At the same time, we will work to offer a flexibility of common sense in the form of additional time for compliance,” said EPA administrator Lee Zeldin.
The development was reported for the first time by the Washington Post.
Environmental groups have criticized the movement.
“With a pen stroke, the EPA laughs at the promise of the Trump administration to deliver drinking water to the Americans,” said Erik Olson, strategic health director to the non -profit natural resource defense council.
