The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency’s new water rules.
In April, President Joe Biden’s administration and the EPA introduced national limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water. These PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” have been linked to health concerns such as cancer.
In exchange for cleaner water, Americans around the nation may soon have to pay hefty prices.
Water systems are starting to warn residents of massive rate hikes as they prepare to install technology to filter out toxic chemicals in a family known as PFAS.
Recently, the U.S. EPA announced long-awaited water quality standards outlining the maximum contaminant levels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminants in drinking water. This marks the first time national standards for a new contaminant have been added to the Safe Drinking Water Act since 1996. It represents, without doubt, an ominous alert that should be noted.
The Biden administration on Friday moved to force polluters to clean up two of the most pervasive forms of “forever chemicals,” designating them as hazardous substances under the nation’s Superfund law.
The Biden administration on Wednesday set the first-ever national limits for toxic and pervasive ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water. The administration’s action seeks to reduce the amount of chemicals belonging to a class known as PFAS in drinking water.
At least 70 million Americans get their water from a system where toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” were found at levels that require reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Hastings, Minnesota, is staring down a $69 million price tag for three new treatment plants to remove PFAS chemicals from its water supply, ahead of new US federal regulations limiting the amount of so-called forever chemicals in public drinking water — which could come as early as this month.
Scott Minor is superintendent for the water system serving the area around Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, in southern Maine, a growing region where summer tourists flocking to the coast swell the demand for water. Minor’s water system had identified a safe, out-of-the-way spot for a well to supplement the water supply.
Lawsuits accusing major chemical companies of polluting U.S. drinking water with toxic PFAS chemicals led to over $11 billion in settlements in 2023, with experts predicting that new federal regulations and a growing awareness of the breadth of PFAS contamination in the U.S. will spur more litigation and settlements in the year ahead.
Forever chemicals have shown up in drinking water across the country. Now they are appearing in homeowners’ soaring utility bills.
