EPA announces funding to reduce PFAS in drinking water

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced new funding of $945.7 million for local grants to reduce PFAS and other contaminants in drinking water, even as the agency moves to drop regulations on certain "forever chemicals."

The Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grants are intended to reduce PFAS  – or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – and other contaminants. Funding has been allocated to all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the five major U.S. territories. 

“This funding supports states, territories, and their local communities for eligible activities with the primary purpose of addressing emerging contaminants, including testing water quality and building infrastructure,” said an EPA memo that provides details on the grants. 

EPA press releases said the new funding “underscores EPA’s commitment to Making America Healthy Again by ensuring clean water for all.”

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California will receive the most money at $77.3 million, while D.C. and several states and territories will receive $9.5 million. 

However, on the same day as the funding announcement, EPA proposed dropping limits on four of the six products containing PFAS that were identified by the Biden administration as harmful to human health. 

PFAS are often deemed forever chemicals because of their persistence in the environment. They can be found in pesticides’ active ingredients and biosolids used as fertilizers, as well as numerous non-agricultural products, according to a recent paper that relies on a PFAS definition from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. EPA, which uses a different definition, maintains it has not registered a PFAS pesticide since 2017, a spokesperson said.

PFAS is linked to decreased antibody response and high fat content in blood for adults and children, increased risk of kidney cancer in adults and decreased fetal and infant growth, according to a 2022 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.