The United States Environmental Protection Lund Agency (USEPA) is accepting public comments through July 20, 2026, regarding a proposed rule to rescind regulatory determinations and regulations for several PFAS chemicals in drinking water. The agency held a virtual public hearing on July 7, 2026, to allow the public to provide verbal testimony on the proposal, which seeks to address procedural issues in previous rulemaking.
Correcting Regulatory Procedures
The proposed rule focuses on the rescission of regulatory determinations and regulations for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA—commonly known as GenX chemicals—and Hazard Index mixtures consisting of these three PFAS plus PFBS. According to the EPA, the proposal is intended to correct what the agency described as a failure by the Biden Administration to follow clear requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) during the initial promulgation of regulations for these substances.
The agency stated on May 18, 2026, that this rulemaking is necessary to rectify an unlawful procedure used when the regulations for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and Hazard Index mixtures were originally established. While the current proposal seeks to rescind these specific determinations to ensure future regulatory actions follow the proper legal process, the EPA noted it remains committed to evaluating additional PFAS in drinking water for potential future regulation.
Timeline of PFAS Regulation
The history of these regulations includes a significant milestone on April 10, 2024, when the EPA announced the final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. That regulation established legally enforceable drinking water Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS, alongside the regulations for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and Hazard Index mixtures of those three plus PFBS, with a compliance deadline set for April 2029.
However, by May 2025, the EPA announced its intent to rescind these specific regulations and reconsider regulatory determinations. The agency's stated goal was to ensure that any resulting drinking water regulations for these four PFAS substances adhere strictly to the statutory requirements of the Safe Drinking and Drinking Water Act.
Public Hearing and Extensions
In addition to the rescission rule, the EPA is simultaneously proposing a separate rulemaking to extend compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS Maximum Contaminant Levels. The agency also announced in May 2025 its intent to establish a federal exemption framework as part of this regulatory review process.
A virtual public hearing was conducted on July 7, 2026, from 9 AM to 5 PM MDT, where the agency presented information regarding the proposed PFAS rescission rule. During this session, members of the public were invited to provide verbal comments. The EPA indicated that a recording of this public hearing would be posted to its official website as soon as possible.
How to Submit Comments
For stakeholders wishing to participate in the regulatory process, the EPA has provided specific instructions for submitting feedback. While a combined registration process was made available for those interested in attending the July 7 hearing for both the rescission rule and the PFOA/PFOS extension rule, the agency emphasized that each proposal maintains its own individual rulemaking docket.
All written comments must be submitted to the specific docket associated with the particular rule being addressed. The public can access the docket for the proposed PFAS rescission rule via regulations.gov using Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0654.
Final Deadline Approaching
The window for public input is closing rapidly, as the deadline for written comments on the proposed rule is July 20, 2026. The agency has provided various supporting materials, including a Federal Register Notice and Q&A documents, to assist the public in understanding the complexities of the rescission of regulatory determinations for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and Hazard Index mixtures.
