The Biden administration will require drinking water providers to remove highly toxic “forever chemicals” from tap water for the first time under a historic rule that was lauded as “a huge win for public health.”
Finalized Wednesday, the rule sets legal limits on six per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have been detected in the drinking water of tens of millions of Americans. It’s a major achievement for President Joe Biden, who first promised a comprehensive approach to addressing PFAS on the campaign trail in 2020.
Administration officials celebrated the rule in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where residents for years drank water tainted with PFAS due to chemicals allegedly released by Chemours.
“President Biden, Vice President [Kamala] Harris and this EPA will continue fighting until all people, every single person in this country has clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and the opportunity to live a healthy and prosperous life,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said during the event.
