The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to revoke six Biden-era rules on toxic PFAS has drawn renewed criticism from clean water advocates.
Federal officials want to narrow drinking water limits on four PFAS chemicals, often called “forever chemicals.” They said the rule-making process was legally flawed. The agency would also give companies and water agencies two additional years to comply with rules on two other substances.
The proposal, announced May 18, 2026, targets the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. It would rescind maximum contaminant levels for perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, commonly known as GenX) and the hazard index mixture that includes perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). Limits for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) would remain, but public water systems could request a two-year extension of the compliance deadline to 2031.
Maria Doa, senior director of chemical policy for the Environmental Defense Fund, said the federal government is putting profit ahead of public health.
“This is part of a coordinated approach,” Doa contended. “A lot of the people at EPA are former chemical industry people who are integral to rolling back these regulations.”
Doa argued the rollback is part of a broader attack on clean water and evidence that the Trump administration favors big business and the questionable materials some companies use.
“They’re extremely bad,” Doa said of PFAS. “They cause so many different harms to the body at extremely low level. And the other thing is many of these PFAS build up in your body and stay there for a long time.”
PFAS chemicals have been the subject of legal action in Maryland. In 2024, the state sued materials manufacturer W.L. Gore and Associates, accusing the company of knowingly releasing the chemicals from its facilities and greatly affecting Cecil County. The lawsuit, filed Dec. 18, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Maryland, seeks to hold Gore responsible for cleanup costs related to contamination from 13 facilities in the Elkton area.
A number of military installations in Maryland have recorded elevated levels of PFAS, including Joint Base Andrews, Aberdeen Proving Ground and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Chesapeake Bay Detachment. The Chesapeake Bay Detachment in Calvert County is one of the Southern Maryland sites where PFAS has been identified in groundwater monitoring.
The changes could influence how Maryland addresses PFAS in public drinking water systems and at federal facilities. St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties rely heavily on groundwater sources, and the presence of military installations has raised local concerns about potential contamination pathways.
The EPA’s action follows its May 2025 announcement of intent to reconsider aspects of the Biden-era regulation to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act’s procedural requirements. Public comments on the proposed rescission rule are due by July 20, 2026.
Advocates contend the move delays protections for communities near known contamination sources. No immediate changes to current state-level monitoring or enforcement in Maryland were announced in connection with the federal proposal.
The proposal would return regulation of the four chemicals to the evaluation process under the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA has stated the original 2024 rule for those substances did not follow required public comment procedures. The agency plans to reevaluate the four PFAS for possible future regulation.
PFAS are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals used in products ranging from nonstick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics to firefighting foam. They do not break down easily in the environment or the human body. Exposure has been linked to increased cholesterol levels, decreased vaccine response in children, liver effects, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and kidney and testicular cancer.
In Maryland, the Department of the Environment continues to sample private wells near known PFAS sources and provides treatment systems where levels exceed state action levels. The state has not yet finalized its own drinking water standards for PFAS but follows federal guidance where applicable.
The federal proposal does not affect ongoing cleanup at contaminated sites or state lawsuits. Maryland’s case against W.L. Gore remains active in federal court following rulings allowing resident intervention and denying certain company motions to limit the suit.
Residents in Southern Maryland concerned about local water quality can contact the St. Mary’s, Calvert or Charles county health departments or the Maryland Department of the Environment for testing information.
