EPA

President Trump has sought fewer environmental rules and more oil and gas development. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has carried out that agenda by announcing massive regulatory rollbacks.

Federal rules to reduce the levels of "forever chemicals" in drinking water are getting delayed.

In a court filing, the agency said the abeyance would allow time to “allow parties to confer and seek agreement on proposals” ahead of the EPA’s planned announcement on the rules.

Utility membership groups sued the EPA for clean drinking water rules enacted under the Biden administration. Now, Trump's EPA has until Monday to make a move in court.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. adds that he’s assembling a task force on fluoridation. Also, the EPA says it is reviewing “new scientific information” on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water.

The EPA didn't ensure that states submitted accurate estimates of the number of lead pipes they had. Big problems were found in data submitted by Florida and Texas.

The data was used to distribute federal money to states to replace the pipes. An advocate thinks Florida's numbers were likely inflated. Florida's DEP says the feds' methodology is flawed.

So far, water utility reports reveal 89.3 million people have been exposed to PFAS nationwide, although a peer-reviewed article from 2020 estimates that number to be around 200 million.

The Miami area has had the highest documented levels of PFAS chemicals in Florida drinking water. Although the Tampa region is much lower, utilities will likely need to take action.

PFAS chemicals have been used for decades to waterproof and stain-proof consumer products and are linked to health problems.