The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has pushed back deadlines for removing several toxic PFAS compounds from drinking water, prompting fierce criticism from North Carolinians living with decades of contamination in the Cape Fear River Basin.
Will Atwater reports for North Carolina Health News.
In short:
- The EPA will keep enforceable limits for legacy PFAS chemicals PFOA and PFOS, but will delay or rescind rules for GenX and three other compounds, extending the compliance deadline for utilities from 2029 to 2031.
- Communities around the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant, where GenX was discharged for years, condemned the decision as a setback after years of advocacy and exposure.
- North Carolina’s Environmental Management Commission is also under fire for delays in creating state-level PFAS standards, while a pending bill, the Water Safety Act, may offer a path forward.
Key quote:
“The EPA is caving to chemical industry lobbyists and pressure by the water utilities, and in doing so, it’s sentencing millions of Americans to drink contaminated water for years to come.”
— Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group
Why this matters:
Communities along the Cape Fear River have lived with contaminated wells and water sources for years, with Indigenous and low-income families often facing the greatest burdens. Delays in regulation — whether at the federal or state level — mean prolonged exposure for populations already vulnerable. Meanwhile, the lack of enforcement mechanisms and slow rulemaking processes leave affected residents relying on bottled water or costly filtration systems.
Related: The silent threat beneath our feet: How deregulation fuels the spread of forever chemicals
