On the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to abandon safety limits on toxic PFAS chemicals in Americans’ drinking water, Environmental Advocates NY released the following statement:
“The EPA has chosen to side with polluters over the people it was established to protect, so New Yorkers must protect ourselves,” said Rob Hayes, Senior Director of Clean Water, Environmental Advocates NY. “The science is clear: PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ are deadly poisons that don’t belong in our drinking water. The New York State Senate has already passed legislation to maintain the science-based protections that keep us safe when we turn on the tap, and it’s imperative that the Assembly pass it before the end of session.”
Background
- Under the Biden administration, the EPA established science-based safety limits to keep PFAS “forever chemicals” out of drinking water.
- In May 2025, Donald Trump’s EPA announced its intent to weaken and delay those public health protections.
- Today the EPA formally proposed regulatory changes that would abandon limits on four PFAS chemicals (PFNA, PFHxS, GenX, and PFBS), which would remove the requirement for water utilities to install new filtration to remove these dangerous chemicals from drinking water when harmful levels are detected.
- EPA is also proposing to allow water utilities to apply for a two-year delay in complying with limits on PFOA and PFOS, unnecessarily prolonging New Yorkers’ exposure to these two chemicals.
- At least 1.3 million New Yorkers are exposed to PFAS in their drinking water at levels above the current federal limits. These New Yorkers would face prolonged toxic exposure if EPA’s proposed regulations go into effect, putting their health at risk.
- This rollback is coming despite the fact that researchers have concluded that there is no safe level of exposure to PFOA and PFOS, and that the EPA has formally agreed with that conclusion.
- Several other states, including Maine, Vermont, and Wisconsin, have already adopted the current federal PFAS limits.
- A bill to codify the stricter limits in New York State law has passed the State Senate and is awaiting passage in the State Assembly.
Environmental Advocates NY is New York’s leading environmental watchdog, working for over 50 years to advance strong environmental laws and hold decision-makers accountable.
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