EPA and North Carolina Face Backlash Over PFAS Rule Changes

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to scale back a 2023 reporting rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act that would have required companies to disclose PFAS manufacturing volumes, uses and health data. The revision could exempt more than 95% of businesses. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the change would reduce regulatory burdens and costs, while critics argue it weakens oversight of “forever chemicals.”

The agency has also delayed compliance deadlines for certain PFAS drinking water standards to 2031 and is reconsidering limits for several compounds, including GenX produced at Chemours’ Fayetteville Works plant near Wilmington.

In North Carolina, regulators have advanced narrower PFAS rules, dropping several chemicals and shifting toward industry self-monitoring instead of enforceable discharge limits. Environmental advocates, including the Southern Environmental Law Center, say the changes prioritize polluters over public health, despite ongoing contamination concerns in the Cape Fear River basin.

16-02-2026