MAY 18, 2026

Dismantling of first-ever national drinking water standards for ‘forever chemicals’ endangers health of Americans everywhere

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Great Lakes PFAS Action Network (GLPAN) today issued the following statement condemning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new rules rolling back the country’s first-ever drinking water standards for four of six PFAS chemicals. 

“The EPA has dismantled science-based standards for four PFAS chemicals meant to protect the health of millions of Americans, including members of the armed services and residents of military communities like Grayling and Oscoda,” said Tony Spaniola, co-chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. “Rolling back drinking water standards is a step in the wrong direction and will burden families with painful and costly health problems for years to come.”

The original drinking water standards, which were finalized in April 2024, established legally enforceable individual Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion (ppt), MCLs for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX at 10 ppt, and set a Hazard Index MCL for chemical mixtures containing two or more of either PFHxS, PFNA, HGPO-DA, or PFBS. 

The original standards required public water systems to begin PFAS monitoring and compliance practices by 2027, implement solutions to reduce PFAS levels above MCLs by 2029, and be subject to penalties for violations. The EPA’s rollback rescinds MCLs for all but PFOA and PFOS and extends the compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS from 2029 to 2031.

Despite state-level drinking water standards in place in Michigan, the EPA’s decision to roll back drinking water standards will have devastating effects on Michigan communities, particularly military communities, like Grayling, whose aquifers have been contaminated with PFHxS from military fire training operations. 

Drinking water is one of the primary sources of PFAS exposure for many Americans. Today’s decision goes against the best available science and further endangers the health of families across Michigan and the nation.