Two trade organizations representing several Long Island water providers sued the Environmental Protection Agency this week, hoping to overturn government-mandated limits on "forever chemicals," the New York Post reported.
In April, the Biden administration announced new legally enforceable drinking water standards aimed at reducing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as "forever chemicals" due to their inability to break down.
Forever chemicals have been detected in Long Island's drinking water and are commonly used in products like nonstick cookware and food containers. They can seep into groundwater and have been linked to cancer, organ damage, and infertility if consumed.
The revised standards aimed to limit the acceptable amount of forever chemicals in drinking water at 4 parts per trillion, a massive drop from the previous Obama-era standard of 70. According to the Post, the new standard is the equivalent of one drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The suit has now merged with a similar case filed by multiple chemical and manufacturing companies looking to overturn the Biden-era standards. The plaintiffs are arguing the EPA did not follow proper procedure when deciding the limits and the changes will cost companies billions per year to reach the new standards.
Jeff Szabo, CEO of the Suffolk County Water Authority, said, "This could set a dangerous precedent for future contaminants or anything else that the EPA wanted to do. The EPA did not follow the proper process."
Nassau Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages is one of the local advocates pushing the water companies to adhere to the EPA's new standards.
"This is a public health crisis," she told the Post. "They are basically saying they want to sell poison to the American people."
Solages said Long Island has some of the highest rates of cancer in the country.
"You can't pinpoint exactly why with just one reason, but I would guess our high levels of PFAS [forever chemicals] probably plays a part," she said.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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