U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new drinking water health advisories for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
EPA also announced $1 billion in bipartisan infrastructure spending will be made available to strengthen health protections for drinking water. These funds are the first of $5 billion in grant funding to address PFAS and other contaminants in water, "specifically in small or disadvantaged communities."
“People on the front-lines of PFAS contamination have suffered for far too long," EPA Administrator MIchael Regan said in the release. "That’s why EPA is taking aggressive action as part of a whole-of-government approach to prevent these chemicals from entering the environment and to help protect concerned families from this pervasive challenge. Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are also investing $1 billion to reduce PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water.”
These four drinking water health advisories adhere to Regan's PFAS Strategic Roadmap, the release reported. The initiative build on EPA's progress to protect communities from PFAS pollution and work to inform future efforts.
“EPA is also demonstrating its commitment to harmonize policies that strengthen public health protections with infrastructure funding to help communities — especially disadvantaged communities — deliver safe water,” EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox said in the release.
