Save Our Water (S.O.H2O) is concerned over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent legal filing to withdraw and vacate maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for four toxic PFAS chemicals that were legally established in 2024.
Instead of defending the nation’s first-ever enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS, the EPA is now actively aligning with chemical manufacturers and lobbyists who have sought to weaken or eliminate these protections. These motions represent a dangerous assault on the health of millions of Americans.
“If these critical standards are reversed then the EPA has chosen corporate interests over public health and safety,” said S.O.H2O. “This is a devastating blow to families living with this exposure.”
Background
- In 2024, the EPA finalized legally enforceable drinking water standards for six PFAS under the
Safe Drinking Water Act. - September 11, 2025, the EPA filed a motion in the D.C. Circuit Court to withdraw and vacate
standards for GenX, PFNA, PFBS, and PFHxS. - These filings come in direct response to lawsuits filed by the chemical industry — industries with
deep financial interests in avoiding accountability for PFAS contamination.
Why This Matters
PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” are linked to cancer, liver and kidney damage, immune
dysfunction, reproductive harm, and developmental issues. Communities across the country rely on
these standards as the only line of defense against decades of unchecked pollution.
S.O.H2O’s Call
Save Our Water calls on the EPA to:
- Immediately withdraw its motions to vacate the four PFAS standards.
- Defend the legally established 2024 rule in full, as required under the Safe Drinking Water Act’s
anti-backsliding provisions. - Prioritize public health, not industry profits, in all regulatory decisions.
