On December 18, 2025, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment will hold a hearing on “Examining the Impact of EPA’s CERCLA Designation for Two PFAS Chemistries and Potential Policy Responses to Superfund Liability Concerns.” In May 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule designating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and their salts and structural isomers as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive...
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On October 29, 2025, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) announced that it filed an Information Quality Act (IQA) request with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding statements on EPA’s website that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been phased out of domestic production. According to PEER, two EPA publications on its website contain erroneous information about PFOA: “EPA Questions and Answers About TSCA,” Q8 states: “[Is] … perfluorooctanoic acid...
September 18, 2025
EPA Will Retain CERCLA Hazardous Substance Designation for PFOA, PFOS, Will Develop CERCLA Section 102(a) Framework Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 17, 2025, its next steps regarding regulatory efforts to address cleanup of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). On May 8, 2024, EPA designated PFOA, PFOS, and their salts and structural isomers as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Under the rule, entities are required to report immediately releases of PFOA and PFOS...
On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extended the comment period on a draft risk assessment of the potential human health risks associated with the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in biosolids, also known as sewage sludge. 90 Fed. Reg. 16128. According to EPA, the draft risk assessment “reflects the agency’s latest scientific understanding of the potential risks to human health and the environment posed by the...
On February 21, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extended the comment deadline for the January 17, 2025, proposed rule to clarify the timeframe for when companies must first notify a customer that one of its mixtures or trade name products contains a per- or polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) listed on the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). 90 Fed. Reg. 10043. As reported in our January 22, 2025, blog item, the Biden EPA proposed the rule in response to questions from industry...
January 14, 2025
EPA Releases Draft Risk Assessment of PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids, Will Hold Webinar on January 15, 2025
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 14, 2025, a draft risk assessment of the potential human health risks associated with the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in biosolids, also known as sewage sludge. According to EPA, the findings show that there may be human health risks associated with exposure to PFOA or PFOS with all three methods of using or disposing of sewage sludge -- land application of biosolids,...
December 31, 2024
NGOs Appeal Dismissal of Suit Seeking TSCA Section 6 Rule Prohibiting Production of PFOA during Fluorination of Plastic Containers
On December 26, 2024, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) filed notice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that they are appealing the court’s December 11, 2024, decision dismissing their suit to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. As reported in our December 17, 2024, blog item, the court dismissed a suit filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking a rule...
December 17, 2024
District Court Dismisses Suit Seeking TSCA Section 6 Rule Prohibiting Production of PFOA during Fluorination of Plastic Containers
On December 11, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a suit filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking a rule under Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit the production of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) during Inhance Technologies, LLC’s (Inhance) fluorination process. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) v. Regan (No. 2024-2194). As reported in our July 30, 2024, blog item, PEER and the...
November 20, 2024
EPA Extends Deadline for Public Comment on Manufacture of Certain PFAS during Fluorination of HDPE and Other Plastic Containers
On November 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an extension to the comment period for the notice published September 30, 2024, seeking public comment on the manufacture of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), during the fluorination of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and other plastic containers to inform regulations as appropriate under the...
On November 14, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of its third annual progress report, “highlighting the significant achievements the agency has made under its PFAS Strategic Roadmap and the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to protect communities from the impacts of forever chemicals.” According to EPA’s press release, progress on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during the Biden-Harris Administration includes:...
July 30, 2024
CEH and PEER File Suit Seeking TSCA Section 6 Rule Prohibiting Production of PFOA During Fluorination of Plastic Containers
On July 25, 2024, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) filed suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking a rule under Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit the production of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) during Inhance Technologies, LLC’s (Inhance) fluorination process. As reported in our May 23, 2024, blog item on their...
April 23, 2024
EPA Designates PFOA and PFOS as CERCLA Hazardous Substances, Releases CERCLA Enforcement Discretion Policy
On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule that will designate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and their salts and structural isomers as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). EPA states that under the rule, entities are required to report immediately releases of PFOA and PFOS that meet or exceed the reportable quantity (RQ) of one pound within...
On April 6, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a suit brought by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) to prevent Inhance Technologies USA (Inhance) from generating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) when fluorinating plastic containers. As reported in our January 6, 2023, blog item, CEH and PEER sought a court order restraining Inhance from continued manufacture of PFAS in violation of a...
On September 6, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed to designate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), including their salts and structural isomers, as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). 87 Fed. Reg. 54415. According to EPA, “[s]uch a designation would ultimately facilitate cleanup of contaminated sites and reduce human exposure to these ‘forever’...
August 16, 2022
OMB Completes Review of Proposed Rule to Designate PFOA and PFOS as CERCLA Hazardous Substances
review of a proposed rule that would designate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Such designations would require facilities to report on PFOA and PFOS releases that meet or exceed the reportable quantity. Publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register will begin a public comment period. As reported in our October 19,...
August 4, 2022
NTP Publishes Revised Technical Reports on the Toxicity Studies of Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonates and Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylates
On July 28, 2022, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) announced that the following revised Technical Reports on the Toxicity Studies are available on the NTP website: Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonates (Perfluorobutane Sulfonic Acid, Perfluorohexane Sulfonate Potassium Salt, and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid) Administered by Gavage to Sprague Dawley (Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD) Rats (Revised TOX-96); and Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylates (Perfluorohexanoic Acid, Perfluorooctanoic Acid,...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 26, 2021, that it is acting upon a petition from New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) to address per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). EPA states that in responding to the petition, it outlined plans to initiate the rulemaking process for two new RCRA actions, “reflecting the agency’s focus on using best available science and leveraging authorities...
On May 22-23, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) National Leadership Summit (Summit) in Washington, D.C. The Summit convened federal and state regulators, including representatives from EPA’s Office of Water (OW), EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), a small group of invited industry participants, and...