To: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin
I am writing to ask you to withdraw the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule to rescind legally enforceable limits on four of the toxic PFAS found in drinking water and delay the enforcement of the two remaining PFAS.
Enacting the proposed rule would not only expose the public to massive health risks — it would also violate the law. The Safe Drinking Water Act explicitly prohibits EPA from weakening any drinking water standard once it has been established. The law exists precisely to prevent the kind of regulatory reversal the EPA is now proposing.
I urge EPA to withdraw the proposed rule. Rescinding protections already in place would expose millions of people to serious health risks that the law has already addressed Because PFAS persist in the body for decades or longer, delaying implementation of the two remaining PFAS will cause further damage to Americans already impacted by PFAS exposure. The public is counting on you to protect our health, not take dangerous steps backwards.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The safety of drinking water is at risk. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to eliminate legally enforceable limits for four PFAS found in drinking water and delay the enforcement of limits on two more PFAS.
PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” are a growing threat to public health and the environment. These human-made chemicals persist for decades or longer in soil, wildlife, and the human body, contributing to widespread PFAS contamination across the United States. Because they contain an exceptionally strong carbon-fluorine bond, they are highly resistant to breakdown.
A 2025 peer-reviewed study found PFAS in drinking water is associated with increased digestive, oral, endocrine, and respiratory cancer incidence. Even more troubling, the PFAS for which EPA is rescinding limits are specifically associated with colorectal, liver, kidney, bladder, gallbladder cancers, and leukemia, lung cancer, thyroid cancer, and oral and pharynx cancer.
If enacted, the proposed rule would not only expose the public to massive health risks — it would also violate the law. The Safe Drinking Water Act explicitly prohibits EPA from weakening any drinking water standard once established.
PEER has advocated for strict regulations on PFAS that protect public health for many years. Now is your chance to join us. EPA is accepting public comments on its dangerous proposal. Submit yours today – the deadline for public comment is July 20th. Don’t let EPA undo the progress it’s already made on PFAS in drinking water.