EPA Proposes Rollback of PFAS Drinking Water Standards in North Carolina
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin proposes eliminating federal standards for GenX and three other PFAS chemicals in drinking water while offering $2 billion in state funding.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday a proposal to eliminate enforceable health standards for four chemical contaminants found in drinking water sources across North Carolina, including the compound known as GenX.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s plan would strike down the nation’s first-ever federal standards for HFPO-DA (GenX), PFNA, PFHxS, and PFBS — all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, that have contaminated water supplies affecting millions of North Carolinians. The announcement comes nearly one year after Zeldin first indicated he would reevaluate these enforceable standards.
The agency also seeks to delay compliance deadlines for water utilities regarding PFOA and PFOS chemicals by two years, pushing the requirement from 2029 to 2031. These chemicals are no longer manufactured but remain persistent environmental contaminants.
Trump Administration Cites Legal Concerns
In what the EPA describes as a “comprehensive PFAS strategy,” the Trump administration argues the Biden administration failed to follow proper statutory requirements under the Safe Water Drinking Act when establishing drinking water standards for the four chemical compounds.
“The Biden administration cut corners and failed to follow the law,” Zeldin said in the release. “We are fixing that error with standards water systems can actually implement and that will hold up to scrutiny, while addressing PFOA and PFOS, two of the best-studied PFAS with well-documented health impacts.”
The five-page agency release explains that drinking water systems would receive the option to request the two-year extension, providing additional time to sample source water for contaminants, test new control methods, and train workforce personnel to manage those controls.
Funding Package Accompanies Proposal
Under the proposal, the EPA would allocate nearly $1 billion in new funding to states for addressing PFAS contamination in drinking water systems. An additional $1 billion would flow through the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities program.
The funding aims to offset concerns about removing federal standards while water utilities work to address widespread PFAS contamination. These chemicals have been linked to various health problems and persist in the environment for extended periods.
North Carolina has faced particular challenges with PFAS contamination, especially from GenX compounds that have affected Cape Fear River basin communities for years. The state has been monitoring and addressing these contaminants in municipal water supplies and private wells throughout affected regions.
The proposed rule change would require public comment periods and regulatory review processes before taking effect. Water utilities and environmental groups are expected to weigh in on the implications of removing current federal enforcement mechanisms for the four targeted PFAS compounds.
