EPA Studying Technology-based PFAS Limits

On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published for public comment its plan for studying and developing technology-based PFAS limits on industrial wastewater discharges. The plan is a key action under the agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap as it considers rulemaking efforts to protect communities from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, also known as forever chemicals) in local waterways and supports the Biden Cancer Moonshot’s efforts to reduce Americans’ exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.

“EPA is committed to working with state partners to develop strong national rules to reduce the presence of forever chemicals in our waterways,” said Bruno Pigott, EPA principal deputy assistant administrator for water. “That means we must work to develop our collective understanding about PFAS discharges from industry. From there, we can better innovate and implement durable treatment solutions that protect our communities over the long run.”

Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 16 (Preliminary Plan 16) shows the agency’s intent to initiate detailed studies of wastewater pollution discharges and their treatment potential for several industrial categories.

EPA has determined that it needs to collect additional data and information from facilities in the battery manufacturing category, the centralized waste treatment category, the oil and gas extraction category, as well as from PFAS processors (industrial facilities engaged in processing PFAS into commercial products). The goal of these studies is to enable the agency to make informed, data-driven decisions on the need for new rulemakings to establish revised effluent limitations guidelines. Any future rulemakings developed because of these studies would be based on the best available science and designed to stop PFAS contamination at the source.

With the announcement of this preliminary plan in the Federal Register, EPA is opening a 30-day public comment period. To submit a written comment, visit EPA’s Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan webpage for more information.