North Carolina Pushes Back on EPA’s PFAS Backsliding

NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson last week led the Attorney Generals of 18 states and the District of Columbia in calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reverse its effort to undo limits on PFAS pollution in drinking water.

Jackson and the other Attorneys General co-signed a 17-page letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin calling for him to rescind the rollback of limits on these “forever chemicals” in drinking water. The letter is co-signed by the Attorneys General of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.

EPA Tries Alleged Procedural Loophole to Weaken Water Protection

The Trump EPA is attempting to eliminate protections finalized under the Biden Administration in 2024. Because the Clean Drinking Water Act does not allow weakening such standards once they are adopted, the Trump EPA is now attempting to claim that the rule enacting these limits was not properly adopted. The States’ joint letter states their position bluntly: “EPA may not use an alleged—and unsubstantiated—procedural deficiency to arbitrarily weaken PFAS regulations.” 

“Everyone deserves to have safe water to drink,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “That’s why I’m fighting to keep these protections in place. In North Carolina, we know firsthand how damaging PFAS chemicals are to our drinking water and to people’s health. If the EPA rolls back these limits, it would be a harmful step in the wrong direction.” 

The news release from Jackson’s office goes on to point out that “EPA went through a years-long process to adopt this rule, including conducting research and analysis and asking for public feedback. Now, EPA is proposing to eliminate this rule entirely for four important PFAS, including GenX, without providing any good reason. The agency hasn’t analyzed how this rollback would impact drinking water or people’s health and didn’t consider taking a narrower action or trying a different solution instead.” 

Dangerous Repercussions If Trump’s EPA Succeeds

At stake are the “first enforceable national limits on toxic and long-lasting water pollutants often called “forever chemicals”—chemicals like PFAS, PFOS, and GenX which have broadly contaminated drinking waters in North Carolina and around the nation.” 

“The current standards are based on extensive scientific evidence linking PFAS exposure to cancer, liver disease, heart attacks, strokes, and other serious health issues as well as harm to children, infants, and pregnant people,” said Carrie Clark, Executive Director of NCLCV. “Communities and families across the country – and here in NC – pushed for these regulations for years. In fact, the limits were announced right here in NC, near the Cape Fear River.”