The EPA’s New Proposals to Modify PFAS Drinking Water Standards
July 13th, 2026 — by Amy Armata — Category: Water Quality
On May 18, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two proposed rules modifying regulations for treating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The EPA proposals seek to extend compliance deadlines for two common PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and rescind four other forever chemicals. The rules would change the scope of the EPA’s 2024 PFAS drinking water standards.
Horseshoe crabs have existed in the ocean for over 450 million years, surviving mass extinctions and ice ages. However, conservation groups claim that their existence is now at risk due to human activities. The groups assert that horseshoe crab populations have dwindled by more than 70% in recent decades, as they are routinely harvested for bait and their blue blood is drained for biomedical testing.
President Donald Trump recently issued a proclamation, “Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific,” seeking to expand commercial fishing access in three Pacific Marine National Monuments. The three monuments affected are the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, and Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. The proclamation removes previous restrictions set on each monument’s protected area to allow commercial fishing access to American-flagged vessels and the Secretary of Commerce to issue transport permits to foreign-flagged vessels for transporting harvested fish out of the monuments’ waters.
