Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin outlined upcoming agency action to address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). In this suite of actions, Administrator Zeldin announced a long list that included the creation of effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for certain PFAS to stop these forever chemicals from entering drinking water systems, and initiatives to engage with Congress and industry to establish a clear liability framework that ensures the polluter pays and passive receivers are protected.

“I have long been concerned about PFAS and the efforts to help states and communities dealing with legacy contamination in their backyards. With today’s announcement, we are tackling PFAS from all of EPA’s program offices, advancing research and testing, stopping PFAS from getting into drinking water systems, holding polluters accountable, and providing certainty for passive receivers. This is just the start of the work we will do on PFAS to ensure Americans have the cleanest air, land, and water,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin.

These actions are guided by the following principles: strengthening the science, fulfilling statutory obligations and enhancing communication, and building partnerships. With this approach, EPA will provide the foundation and investment necessary for a toolbox that will help states and communities dealing with PFAS contamination:

• Implement a PFAS testing strategy under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 4 to seek scientific information informed by hazard characteristics and exposure pathways
• Launch additional efforts on air related PFAS information collection and measurement techniques related to air emissions
• Identify and address available information gaps where not all PFAS can be measured and controlled
• Provide more frequent updates to the PFAS Destruction and Disposal Guidance—changing from every three years to annually—as EPA continues to assess the effectiveness of available treatment technologies
• Ramp up the development of testing methods to improve detection and strategies to address PFAS
• Develop effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for PFAS manufacturers and metal finishers and evaluate other ELGs necessary for reduction of PFAS discharges
• Address the most significant compliance challenges and requests from Congress and drinking water systems related to national primary drinking water regulations for certain PFAS
• Add PFAS to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) in line with Congressional direction from the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act
• Enforce Clean Water Act and TSCA limitations on PFAS use and release to prevent further contamination
• Achieve more effective outcomes by prioritizing risk-based review of new and existing PFAS chemicals
• Implement section 8(a)7 to smartly collect necessary information, as Congress envisioned and consistent with TSCA, without overburdening small businesses and article importers.
• Advance remediation and cleanup efforts where drinking water supplies are impacted by PFAS contamination

RELATED: The EPA bans TCE and PCE, commonly used in commercial applications

This mindset and the need for a polluter pays model have guided much of the work to be done at EPA for the future.