Appeals Court Blocks EPA Motion to Strike Some Drinking Water PFAS Regs

"Appeals court denies EPA’s wish to toss part of its PFAS regulations for drinking water."

"A federal appeals court has rejected the EPA’s motion to strike portions of the agency’s Biden-era regulations for PFAS in drinking water.

The agency now wants to eliminate its “hazard index” calculations for four of the chemicals. That is also the position of the two water utility trade groups – American Water Works Association and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies – that filed the initial lawsuit in 2024.

The hazard index applies to mixtures of PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and/or GenX in drinking water. This is the first time the agency has used such an approach for drinking water regulation."

Brett Walton reports for Circle of Blue January 26, 2026.