EPA advances PFAS strategy and adds nearly $1 billion for drinking-water grants

The Environmental Protection Agency on May 18 announced a new PFAS strategy that combines proposed changes to some drinking-water rules with nearly $1 billion in grant funding for states and small or disadvantaged communities.

The agency said it will keep current limits for PFOA and PFOS in place, while proposing implementation changes and rescissions for some other PFAS chemicals. EPA said the package is meant to be legally defensible, practical and scientifically sound.

The funding is intended to help communities address PFAS contamination in drinking water. EPA did not say in the announcement exactly how the money will be distributed, but it said the grants are part of a broader effort to support drinking-water protections.

The move comes amid a politically charged debate over how aggressively the federal government should regulate PFAS, a class of chemicals often called forever chemicals because they do not break down easily in the environment. Critics have described the EPA plan as a rollback of drinking-water safeguards, while the agency has framed it as a targeted update to existing rules.

The proposed rule changes will go through public comment, and EPA said it will hold a public hearing on July 7, 2026. The final shape of the policy will depend on that process and on whether the agency follows through with the proposals as announced.