Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is shown in April at a subcommittee hearing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. On Monday, Zeldin announced the EPA will roll back some protections on chemicals called "forever toxins" in drinking water. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo
May 18 (UPI) -- Officials in the Trump administration on Monday moved to weaken and change key parts of federal guidelines that dealt with the presence of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also called "forever toxins," in drinking water.
The plans against those guidelines have been in the works for more than a year. The federal regulations date from President Joe Biden's term as president and required water utility companies to filter six types of PFAs from drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency found in the past that PFAS are linked to cancer, obesity, decreased fertility, development issues and many other health issues. The man-made chemicals are sometimes called forever toxins because they can last for decades in the environment, CNN reported.
In announcing the pullback of the regulations, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin blamed the Biden administration for alleged procedural errors to do with the guidelines. He said the EPA will now do things "the right way, following the law and following the science," The New York Times reported.
