The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to establish legally enforceable measures to combat six specific pollutants known to occur in the nation's drinking water.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the agency's proposal to set nationwide standards for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water "is informed by the best available science, and would help provide states with the guidance they need to make decisions that best protect their communities," a March 14 EPA press release reports.
"This action has the potential to prevent tens of thousands of PFAS-related illnesses," Regan said in the release, "and marks a major step toward safeguarding all our communities from these dangerous contaminants.”
PFAS are “chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Although the effects of low levels of the chemicals on humans isn’t clear, laboratory animals exposed to large amounts have growth and development problems, which suggests the substances may affect thyroid function, the immune system, reproduction and the liver, according to the CDC.
If finalized, the proposal will regulate PFOA and PFOS as "individual contaminants" and four others – PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX Chemicals – as "a mixture," according to the release. Public water systems will be required to monitor for the chemicals and to notify the public if levels surpass regulatory standards and also reduce the contamination levels, the EPA reports.
“EPA anticipates that if fully implemented, the rule will, over time, prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses,” the release said. “This action establishes nationwide protection from PFAS pollution for all people, including environmental justice communities.”
In February the EPA made available $2 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law “to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS, in drinking water across the country," the release reports. The funding supports access to safe, clean water in small, disadvantaged rural communities and their economies, the EPA states in the release.
This proposal is a significant milestone for the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, according to the EPA. Environmental campaigners and policymakers support the proposal, the EPA states, which is still subject to public comment before it can be finalized, and the EPA will consider any feedback it receives before issuing the final regulation.
“Communities across this country have suffered far too long from the ever-present threat of PFAS pollution,”Regan said in the release. “That’s why President Biden launched a whole-of-government approach to aggressively confront these harmful chemicals, and EPA is leading the way forward.”
