WASHINGTON — The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) today submitted a public comment urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw its proposal to rescind the 2024 drinking water standards for four “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. The EPA estimates that approximately 176 million Americans receive drinking water from public water systems in which PFAS have been detected. PHA’s comment warns that the proposed rescission of the regulations that protect drinking water from PFAs contamination would expose millions of Americans to severe adverse health risks, lead to additional burdens on the nation’s already-strained healthcare system, and cost billions of dollars in medical bills and lost worker productivity.
As a nonpartisan coalition of 15 Governors representing approximately one-third of the U.S. population, PHA emphasized that Governors depend on strong federal partnerships and consistent national standards to protect public health and ensure communities have access to clean, safe drinking water.
“Federal drinking water standards are essential because most Americans cannot meaningfully protect themselves from PFAS,” the Alliance wrote. “When drinking water systems are contaminated with PFAS, seemingly ordinary actions—like filling up a water bottle or drinking from a water fountain—all incrementally “bioaccumulate,” or increase adverse health risks over time.[1] Because drinking water is an unavoidable daily necessity, changes in individual behavior will do little to reduce PFAS exposure.”
PHA’s comment warns that rescinding the rule would expose more Americans to PFAS linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental harms, weakened immune function, and other serious health conditions. It could also increase pressure on health care systems and shift billions of dollars in costs to states, water utilities, and local communities. EPA’s proposed rescission would also leave many states without enforceable PFAS drinking water protections and could lead to catastrophic costs.
“Unchecked, this exposure will also strain the nation’s public health infrastructure. As more individuals develop PFAS-related conditions over time, states will face growing demand for healthcare services that falls on already resource-constrained Medicaid programs, public hospitals, and community health centers,” the Alliance explains.
The full public comment is available here.
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About the Governors Public Health Alliance
The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of Governors—representing nearly one in three people in the U.S.—working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. An initiative of GovAct, the Alliance brings together Governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information. To learn more, go to www.govsforhealth.org.
About GovAct
Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps Governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a central platform for collaboration across Governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of Governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging issues we face, from democracy and reproductive freedom to public safety and health. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.
[1] Nat’l Inst. of Env’t Health Scis., Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc (last reviewed Mar. 6, 2026).