EPA Proposes Loosening Restrictions on “Forever Chemicals” in Drinking Water
Is rolling back environmental protections the way to make America healthy again?
That’s what the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims in its May 18, 2026 press release announcing a proposed rollback of strict drinking water standards for four different PFAS “forever chemicals”—“perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, commonly referred to as GenX chemicals), and the hazard index of these three plus perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS).”
The 2024 EPA rule for PFAS in drinking water set limits of 10 parts per trillion (ppt) for these four chemicals, effective in 2029. EPA says that the rule did not have a sufficiently long public comment period on the threshold and proposes to start back at the beginning, calling for more “gold-standard research” and study.
Limits for the two most-studied PFAS chemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) would remain at the 4 ppt set in the 2024 rule, but municipalities would have an additional two years to comply—until 2031 instead of 2029.
“The Trump EPA is committed to Make America Healthy Again by ensuring clean air, land, and water—and by taking on PFAS the right way, across the full lifecycle and built to last,” announced EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
The proposals to cut regulations for the four chemicals and extending compliance for PFOA and PFOS are open for public comments until July 20, 2026. The EPA will also hold a virtual public hearing on July 7.
According to the Environmental Working Group, the drinking water for 176 million Americans has tested positive for PFAS. The group hosts an interactive map showing which municipalities test above and below the proposed limits.
“This is a terrible situation,” Phil Brown, professor of sociology and health science at Northeastern University, told Newsweek. “Many scientists and affected communities have worked for years to get the standards.”
“By abandoning and delaying enforceable limits on dangerous industrial chemicals like GenX and other PFAS, the agency is putting polluters’ profits over people and sending a clear message that corporate interests matter more than human lives,” said Kelly Moser, senior attorney and water program leader for the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC).
SELC notes that one area where the proposed rule will allow serious PFAS contamination to continue unabated is the Cape Fear River Basin of North Carolina, which is heavily contaminated by the Chemours Fayetteville Works Facility. There are two Chemours executives on the EPA’s Science Advisory Board.
The EPA’s positively worded press release on the proposed rule is another example of how the agency is using the phrase “Make America Healthy Again” while doing the opposite. Maybe enough people will submit comments before July 20 to send a clear message to the EPA that keeping drinking water contaminated is not the way to truly make America healthy again.
