EPA proposes two-year extension for PFOA, PFOS

The Environmental Protection Agency on May 18 proposed a targeted rewrite of its 2024 PFAS drinking-water rule: keep the enforceable national limits for PFOA and PFOS, but let eligible public water systems ask for two extra years to comply. In a separate proposal released the same day, the agency said it wants to rescind the drinking-water standards it adopted last year for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX chemicals and a hazard-index mixture that also includes PFBS. EPA said the extension would move the compliance deadline for PFOA and PFOS to 2031 for systems that qualify through an opt-in process. The two proposals together preserve the federal caps for the two best-known “forever chemicals” while reopening the legal and scientific basis for the rest of the 2024 package. ### So what exactly is changing for PFOA and PFOS? EPA’s proposed extension rule does not change the maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS; it changes the timeline. The agency said it would “uphold” the federal drinking-water standards for those two chemicals while allowing drinking-water systems to request up to two additional years — to 2031 — to meet them. EPA’s FAQ for water systems says the proposal would create an exemption process rather than a blanket delay for every utility. (epa.gov) The number that matters is 4 parts per trillion. EPA’s current national primary drinking-water regulation sets the enforceable limits for both PFOA and PFOS at 4.0 ppt, and the agency said those levels would remain in place under the new proposal. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said earlier the agency was seeking “common-sense flexibility” on timing while keeping those standards. (epa.gov) ### Which PFAS standards is EPA trying to remove? A second EPA proposal targets four other PFAS provisions from the 2024 rule. The agency said it is proposing to rescind the regulatory determinations and remove related drinking-water regulations for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA — commonly called GenX chemicals — and the hazard-index mixture covering those three substances plus PFBS. (epa.gov) The Federal Register’s public-inspection notice dated May 20 describes that action as a proposed rule and request for public comment. EPA said the rescission is meant to address what it called failures by the Biden administration to follow the Safe Drinking Water Act’s requirements when it issued the 2024 rule. (federalregister.gov) ### Why did EPA split the action into two proposals? EPA said the two-track approach is intended to keep the PFOA and PFOS standards in force while separately revisiting the legal footing for the other PFAS standards. In its May 18 news release, the agency described the package as a “comprehensive PFAS strategy” and said it was seeking rules that are “legally defensible, practical, and scientifically grounded.” (federalregister.gov) The agency also tied the move to implementation concerns for local utilities. EPA said the extension option is meant to give water systems more time to develop treatment plans and install solutions, particularly in smaller and rural communities that may face higher compliance hurdles. ### What does this mean for water systems right now? (epa.gov) Public water systems do not get an automatic reprieve under the proposal. EPA’s materials say systems would need to seek the extension through an opt-in or exemption process if the rule is finalized, and the existing standards remain the governing federal rule until any changes are completed. For utilities already planning treatment upgrades, the immediate issue is timing rather than the PFOA/PFOS target itself. (epa.gov) For communities tracking the other PFAS chemicals, the immediate issue is whether EPA finalizes the separate rescission after public comment and any hearing process. ### Where does the process go from here? The Federal Register listed both PFAS actions for public inspection on May 20, 2026, and EPA said each proposal will go through notice-and-comment rulemaking before any final changes take effect. (epa.gov) The agency’s PFAS drinking-water pages now host summaries, supporting materials and question-and-answer documents for states, water systems and the public. EPA said the next formal step is public comment on both proposals after Federal Register publication. Water systems, states, industry groups and environmental advocates are expected to weigh in separately on the 2031 extension for PFOA and PFOS and on the proposed removal of standards for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the PFBS-containing mixture. (federalregister.gov 1) (federalregister.gov 2)