Trump administration's EPA plans to weaken limits on some "forever chemicals" in drinking water

The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some "forever chemicals" in drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining standards for two common ones.

The Biden administration set the first federal drinking water limits for PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, finding they increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight. Those limits were expected to reduce PFAS levels in drinking water for millions of people.

Commonly called "forever chemicals," PFAS are found nearly everywhere — in air, water, and soil — and can take thousands of years to break down in the environment.