03/14/2023

EPA Proposes Rules to Limit ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water

Thousands of U.S. communities consume toxic chemicals in their water

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing the nation’s first drinking-water standards for a group of human-made chemicals — commonplace in consumer items — that pose a greater danger to human health than scientists once thought.

The proposal could force water utilities to spend billions of dollars to comply with the EPA's planned limits on polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, even though those limits are less stringent than advisory levels for safe consumption the agency set last year. Officials say that small and rural utilities will have access to federal subsidies and assistance, blunting the financial impact of the rule, if enacted.

The proposal would require water utilities to detect and reduce PFAS contamination at 4 parts per trillion.  The agency had warned in June that the compounds pose a greater danger to human health than regulators previously thought, compromising people's immune and cardiovascular systems at a lifetime exposure of between just 0.004 to 0.02 parts per trillion, depending on the type of compound.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.