Trump wants to weaken protections against forever chemicals in drinking water

This is - quite directly - Trump killing MAGAs (along with lots of others.

What will our NT MAGAs say?

My guess is that they'll applaud.

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Which is is?  Is the EPA rolling back rules or is the Trump Administration PLANNING on doing something.

Well lets see what the article had to say about that.

Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  finalized  the nation’s first legally enforceable  federal drinking water limits  on the most common types of forever chemicals. Today, the EPA announced an about-face. The agency now wants to exclude several types of the chemicals from the rule, including so-called GenX substances initially intended to  replace older versions of forever chemicals  but that ended up creating new concerns. It also proposed extending compliance deadlines for the two most prevalent forms of forever chemicals, and says it’ll establish a “framework” for more exemptions.

So, the EPAa had finalized enforceable rules regarding the forever chemicals in our water but the enforcement had yet to be implemented and in fact in the EPA plan there is a compliance deadline which had not yet expired and the Trump administration is now proposing extending along with removing certain chemicals so that companies don't have to comply at all on their production of some forever chemicals.

The EPA plan had yet to affect any companies and now the Trump administration 'rolled back' even the eventual requirement to comply for several chemicals and is likely to extend the deadline for the ones they still want reduced or removed.

This is not something that the Trump administration "might do" someday, it's already been announced by Trumps EPA and thus effectively neuters the original plan to reduce the number of potentially deadly chemicals in our drinking water all so the Petro-Chemical and irresponsible manufacturer fat cats can continue to poison the world for a little extra profit.

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So, which is it.  Even your longwinded response contradicts itself.

Apparently, some folks are having trouble wrapping their heads around a very simple concept.

There is no contradiction. The Trump administration already had their EPA announce that the rules that were previously finalized but not yet implemented will be changed as they are being implemented, that means the rules the EPA are going to be using during implementation HAVE ALREADY CHANGED, they just haven't announced all the changes yet which is why some folk are apparently getting confused by a word like "plans" indicating something to happen in the future.

"The US finalizes rules for ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water"

The US finalizes rules for ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water | The Verge

That was the plan, but now the EPA has, as the article points out, already " announced an about-face".  Do I really have to explain what an about-face is? The about-face aka reversal of the implementation of the finalized rules has happened, the Trump administration "plans" referred to simply include how they will decide to implement their own version of rules after stripping the supposed "finalized rules" of any teeth and carving out exceptions for any corporate Trump friends which is exactly what is going to happen.

There is no contradiction unless one is so fucking stupid as to not know what contradiction means or is trying desperately to make up their own definition of the word in order to continue being intentionally obtuse.

Congratulations!!!!

You've identified the most significant thing about this seed: Hair-splitting on semantics!

You don't address the actual topic - that would not obey the MAGA Ministry of Truth's "Guidelines for Destroying Conversation on Social Media". Never, ever!! Never address the actual topic. ALWAYS deny, deflect, derail!

Then answer the question.

"Conversations" with MAGA_True_Believers^© here on NT have become a total waste of time. MAGA_True_Believers^© almost never propose anything; they deny, deflect, derail. They waste everyone's time. I, for one, have decided not to let them waste any more of my time. From now on, I will simply copy/paste this in response to "standard" MAGA_True_Believer^© Comments.

Be well.

Recent posts allowed by Mods. Apparently, Mods see "value" in them.

It would appear that the left is in freefall and losing the war of ideologies.

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A whole 114 likes on a post from someone no one ever heard of. Earth shattering.

Maybe RFK will drink it all, as long as there is no fluoride.

He was happy to swim with his family in sewage tainted water so who knows what is in store for the population with RFK in charge?

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SP,

Mods do as they please. Each of you has your own interpretation of what is acceptable. I understand - you're human and "errare humanum est". "Drift" is inevitable in all processes, and it's faster in human processes. I get it. In industrial quality management, periodic audits are used to detect drift before it careens out of spec. I don't have the impression that there is any equivalent guardrail for Mods.

I've been here for a long time. I know how things work. "Red Rules" were originally my idea, but when *certain* Mods began overruling my decisions, I gave up. Like I said, Mods are human, with the same failings as all humans. There are a couple Mods who, shall we say, scrutinize my posts more... thoroughly... than others. That's human, too.

So... I'll continue to post what I feel is useful to our community, in content and in form. 

Thanks for being a peacemaker.

The EPA has extended by two years some of the deadlines for compliance of some requirements for rural water districts at their behest such that they can assess/implement technologies for remediation without excessive costs to the customers of those districts.  Otherwise, the EPA has not rolled back the requirements as put forth by the EPA in April of 2024.

EPA Announces It Will Keep Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFOA, PFOS

EPA intends to provide regulatory flexibility and holistically address these contaminants in drinking water

“EPA has done the right thing for rural and small communities by delaying implementation of the PFAS rule. This commonsense decision provides the additional time that water system managers need to identify affordable treatment technologies and make sure they are on a sustainable path to compliance. NRWA greatly appreciates this reasonable and flexible approach, and we look forward to partnering with the agency’s PFAS OUTreach Initiative to help ensure water systems have the resources and support they need,”  said National Rural Water Association CEO Matthew Holmes.    

“ASDWA supports EPA’s proposed approach to the PFAS regulation to extend the compliance date for systems by an additional two years. With the current compliance date of 2029, states and water systems are struggling with the timeframes to complete the pilot testing, development of construction plans, and building the necessary treatment improvements. EPA’s proposed extension of the compliance date and increased technical assistance will address the number of systems that would be out of compliance in 2029 due to not being able complete all of these tasks on time,”  said Association of State Drinking Water Administrators Executive Director Alan Roberson.  

Holding Polluters Accountable   

Drinking water systems are passive receivers of PFOA and PFOS. Polluters can contaminate the surface waters or aquifers that these systems rely on to provide the drinking water to their communities. As  announced by Administrator Zeldin , EPA intends to take a number of actions to reduce the prevalence of PFAS in the environment, including in sources of drinking water. Progress reducing concentrations of PFAS in drinking water sources can substantially reduce the cost burden for water systems and reduce the cost of living for the communities they serve. 

“I have long been concerned about PFAS and the efforts to help states and communities dealing with legacy contamination in their backyards. With today’s announcement, we are tackling PFAS from all of EPA’s program offices, advancing research and testing, stopping PFAS from getting into drinking water systems, holding polluters accountable, and providing certainty for passive receivers. This is just a start of the work we will do on PFAS to ensure Americans have the cleanest air, land, and water,”  said EPA Administrator Zeldin.      

Otherwise, the EPA has not rolled back the requirements as put forth by the EPA in April of 2024.

"As part of this action, EPA is announcing its intent to extend compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS, establish a federal exemption framework, and initiate enhanced outreach to water systems, especially in rural and small communities, through EPA’s new PFAS OUTreach Initiative (PFAS OUT). This action would help address the most significant compliance challenges EPA has heard from public water systems, members of Congress, and other stakeholders, while supporting actions to protect the American people from certain PFAS in drinking water.".

To claim that the Trump EPA hasn't "rolled back" any requirements while also admitting they are establishing "federal exemptions" is completely dishonest.

"So, you're saying that the PFOA's and PFOS's will be regulated exactly as they were supposed to be in the original finalized agreement?"

"Yes! Except for those PFOA's and PFOS's used by certain companies in certain places that would or could potentially financially harm MAGA supporters, in which case we've carved out exemptions."

"Oh, so you've rolled back rules limiting forever chemicals in drinking water..."

"No, no, now don't put words in my mouth, we're just establishing a federal exemption framework."

"So will all companies have to abide by those finalized rules?"

"Well, no, that's why we are establishing a federal exemption framework because doing that to companies that support leader Trump and those MAGAites that work for those companies would be bad for Mein Fuehrer, so we are keeping the finalized rules, we're just delaying their implementation and carving out exemptions for those who support our dear leader, so like we said, not rolling anything back...".

"Do you actually believe the river of bull shit coming out of your mouth?"...

I am s-o-o-o happy that the EPA is protecting us!  

"Do you actually believe the river of bull shit coming out of your mouth?"...

I'm simply relaying the opinions of those water districts or agencies charged with supplying affordable safe drinking water to their customers, as is also expressed in this AP article .

For the two commonly found types, PFOA and PFOS, the EPA will keep the current limits in place but give utilities two more years — until 2031 — to meet them.

Leaders of two major utility industry groups, the American Water Works Association and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, said they supported the EPA’s decision to rescind a novel approach to limit a mix of chemicals. But they also said the changes do not substantially reduce the cost of the PFAS rule.

Some utilities wanted a higher limit on PFOA and PFOS, according to Mark White, drinking water leader at the engineering firm CDM Smith.

They did, however, get an extension.

“This gives water pros more time to deal with the ones we know are bad, and we are going to need more time. Some utilities are just finding out now where they stand,” said Mike McGill, president of WaterPIO, a water industry communications firm.

Clearly there are some experts who disagree with the change in the EPA approach, but those agencies charged with delivering safe drinking water to the public are also experts and have experts advising them, and they are in agreement with the 2 year extension of compliance and the further study needed on the other variants of these chemicals which are at this time not as prevalent or dangerous as the PFOA and PFOS on which the 4 parts per trillion limits will still be enforced.  No changes in action have been taken on going after those who had produced these pollutants in the first place, and actions are still being taken to prevent further contamination of water supplies with such chemicals. 

You can distrust the EPA now that Trump is in charge all you want, I'm certainly not a fan of Trump either, but there is always more than one side to a story.  My field has me working closely with people in the water/wastewater industry so I tend to take these agencies and experts at their word in terms of what they need to effectively and  properly comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act and other EPA directives.  Sue me.