- A coalition of 19 Democratic AGs filed a comment letter opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rollback on limits to four poly- and perfluoroalkyl (PFAS) “forever” chemicals found in drinking water. PFAS enter groundwater and surface water through manufacturing materials, discharges, and emissions from manufacturing facilities and other sources. PFAS exposure has been linked to serious health issues affecting the thyroid, liver, kidney, immune system, blood, and reproductive systems.
- The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act tasks the EPA with protecting the nations drinking water from harmful pollution. The AGs assert that the EPA’s proposed rollback would strip the agency of its own authority to require public drinking water systems to test for such PFAS contamination, report their presence in public drinking water supply, and treat drinking water to remove the dangerous chemicals.
- The comment letter filed by the coalition argues that the rollback of the rule is illegal, arbitrary, and violates the Safe Drinking Water Act, which includes specific provisions preventing the EPA from rescinding its own rules and regulations without proper cause.