EPA to regulate potentially harmful PFAS, a.k.a. “forever chemicals”

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan announced Monday the agency will take additional steps to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. PFAS, nicknamed “forever chemicals” due to how long they last in the environment, are toxic industrial compounds associated with serious health conditions. They are used in products ranging from cookware to carpets and firefighting foams.

“For far too long, families across America – especially those in underserved communities – have suffered from PFAS in their water, their air, or in the land their children play on,” Regan said in an EPA press release. “This comprehensive, national PFAS strategy will deliver protections to people who are hurting, by advancing bold and concrete actions that address the full lifecycle of these chemicals.”

According to the press release, the strategy to regulate PFAS includes three parts:

• Increase investments in research.
• Leverage authorities to take action now to restrict PFAS chemicals from being released into the environment.
• Accelerate the cleanup of PFAS contamination.

The agency is also moving to regulate PFAS by designating them as hazardous substances under the so-called Superfund law. The law allows the EPA to force companies responsible for contamination to either pay for the cleanup work or do it themselves. This will make it easier for the EPA to ensure PFAS are cleaned up safely.

The regulatory strategy comes as Congress considers wide-ranging legislation to set a national drinking water standard for certain PFAS chemicals and clean up contaminated sites across the country, including military bases where high rates of PFAS have been discovered.

“This roadmap commits the EPA to quickly setting enforceable drinking water limits for these chemicals as well as giving stronger tools to communities to protect people’s health and the environment,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who is working with the EPA, said in the release. “As we continue partnering with the EPA on this and other important efforts, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and the larger budget resolution would provide critical help by dedicating significant resources to address PFAS contamination.”

The American Chemistry Council, which represents major chemical companies, said it supports “strong, science-based regulation of chemicals, including PFAS substances.″ However, the council added: “All PFAS are not the same, and they should not all be regulated the same way.

“EPA’s Roadmap reinforces the differences between these chemistries and that they should not all be grouped together,” the council said in a statement. “We hope and expect any federal actions will be consistent with sound science.”