In 2024, when former President Joe Biden was in office, his administration announced the first ever national drinking standard per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. These PFAS are also known as “forever chemicals,” since they are highly resistant to breakdown.
Now, President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to soften the Biden-era restrictions, according to the Associated Press. This news comes after polling data released by the Pew Charitable Trusts earlier this year indicated that more than 70% of adults in the U.S. are concerned about exposure to harmful chemicals in drinking water.
When the Biden administration restrictions on forever chemicals were announced, officials “found they increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight,” the AP noted. Shortly after the rules were announced in 2024, the U.S. Environmental Agency revealed data that showed nearly 300 of our public water systems exceeded the new limits.
Further research into how PFAS impact human health focused on metabolic conditions is moving forward with a $10 million grant, the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California said this week.
“Despite growing evidence of harm, major gaps remain in understanding how PFAS affect the body, who is most at risk, and how to effectively reduce exposure and disease burden,” said a press release from the school. As for potential ways to mitigate PFAS contamination, scientists in Australia have said they discovered a way to turn forever chemicals into fluoride, an ingredient often used in toothpaste and mouthwash to fortify teeth.
Per the AP’s report, the Trump administration is expected to propose rescinding limits on three types of PFAS, though it said the details of the proposal have not yet been released. Standards for two types of PFAS referred to as PFOA and PFOS are expected to remain, but the administration is expected to propose giving utilities two extra years (until 2031) to comply with the new standards.
“The proposal will start the formal process,” of rolling back the Biden-era forever chemicals ban,” the AP said. Before the changes are finalized, the public will have a chance to comment.
The former Democratic administration faced allegations that it did not follow the correct legal process to establish the PFAS regulations in the first place and that it moved too quickly. Jessica Kramer, head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water, argued that “we need drinking water rules that are legally defensible,” the AP said.
It also reported that Kramer said Thursday that the agency intended to rescind and revisit certain limits she said were improperly issued by the Biden administration. It’s a move that “would align with actions the EPA had said a year ago they intended to take,” the outlet added.
However, Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs with the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, said the new Republican administration’s plans are likely illegal, the AP reported. She explained that the Safe Drinking Water Act, prevents officials from issuing regulations that are weaker than those previously in place.
There is also pressure on the EPA from within the administration itself in the form of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement. Kennedy is an environmental lawyer and former Democrat. MAHA advocates against corporate environmental harms, while the Trump administration has typically been supportive of big business.
Last month, Kennedy and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a $144 million initiative targeting microplastics in drinking water. It’s called Systematic Targeting of Microplastics (STOMP).
Those Pew Charitable Trusts poll results from earlier this year also found that concerns about chemical safety were high among all political identifications. They showed that 79% of Republicans, 77% of conservatives, 85% of moderates, 89% of liberals, 88% of Democrats, and 90% of those who declined to identify politically agreed that the government needs to do more” about chemical safety.
“So we’re seriously considering rolling BACK protections on PFAS in drinking water?! These are ‘forever chemicals’ linked to major health risks and Americans want MORE accountability here, not less,” said podcast host Alex Clark in a Thursday X post reacting to the news that the Trump administration planned to walk back some of the forever chemical restrictions. “Don’t weaken PFAS regulations!!!”
Clark is the host of the “Culture Apothecary” podcast associated with Conservative group founded by the late Trump ally Charlie Kirk. She added in a comment on her post that: “The military and their families will be hardest hit by this,” and tagged the president.
Despite the expected proposal to change the Biden-era regulations, the AP said the EPA “said they are committed to helping utilities reduce PFAS in drinking water.” Zeldin also said last month that keeping Americans safe from PFAS is a “top priority” for the EPA under Trump.
