- The Environmental Protection Agency has designated PFOA and PFOS, timeless chemicals used in a variety of products, as hazardous.
- This measure is intended to facilitate faster cleanup of these toxic compounds and to hold financially accountable the industries responsible for the pollution.
- This designation requires reporting of releases to soil or water and allows EPA to mandate cleanup to protect public health.
The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday designated two permanent chemicals used in cookware, carpeting and fire extinguishing foam as hazardous, a move that ensures faster cleanup of toxic compounds and eliminates those responsible for contamination. The measure aims to require certain industries and other companies to pay for the cleanup costs.
The designation as a hazardous substance under the Superfund Act does not prohibit the chemicals known as PFOA and PFOS. However, releases of chemicals into soil or water above certain levels must be reported to federal, state, and tribal authorities. In that case, the EPA could require cleanup to protect public health and recover costs that could reach tens of millions of dollars.
Although PFOA and PFOS have been voluntarily phased out by U.S. manufacturers, they remain in limited use and in the environment because they do not degrade over time. These compounds are part of a larger cluster of permanent chemicals known as PFAS, which have been used since the 1940s in industrial and consumer products such as nonstick frying pans, water-repellent sporting goods, stain-resistant rugs, and cosmetics. It has been used in products.
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The term PFAS is an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Chemicals can accumulate in the human body and remain for long periods of time. Evidence from animal and human studies shows that exposure to PFOA or PFOS can cause cancer and other health problems, including liver and heart damage and developmental problems in infants and children. It shows that.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington, May 12, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency has designated two “permanent chemicals” used in cookware, carpeting and firefighting foam as hazardous. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
The final rule announced Friday follows strict limits set by the EPA for certain PFAS in drinking water, requiring utilities to reduce PFAS to the lowest levels that can be reliably measured. Officials say the drinking water regulations announced April 10 will reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of diseases, including cancer.
Last year, three chemical companies announced they had reached a $1.18 billion agreement to resolve complaints that many drinking water systems in the United States were contaminated with PFAS. DuPont de Nemours, The Chemours, and Corteva announced the creation of a fund to compensate water suppliers for pollution.
And earlier this month, chemical manufacturer 3M announced it would begin making payments to many public drinking water systems in the United States as part of a multibillion-dollar settlement over forever chemical contamination.
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President Joe Biden’s administration “understands the threat that chemicals forever pose to the health of families across the country,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said, adding, “We are moving these chemicals under Superfund authority.” The designation allows EPA to address more contaminated sites and take action sooner, while ensuring that polluters pay to clean up pollution that threatens community health. , promotes purification.”
In addition to the final rule, EPA has clarified its focus on enforcement against companies and people who significantly contribute to the release of PFAS chemicals into the environment, including those that manufacture PFAS or those that use PFAS in their manufacturing processes. issued a notice to So do federal agencies and other responsible parties.
PFAS used in firefighting foams have contaminated groundwater on and near military bases and other sites used for training.
The Superfund law authorizes the EPA to clean up contaminated sites across the country, and those responsible for the pollution must either clean up or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup efforts. If those responsible cannot be identified, Superfund gives the Environmental Protection Agency money and authority to clean up contaminated sites.
EPA’s action follows a National Academy of Sciences report that finds PFAS pose a serious public health threat in the United States and around the world. The EPA announced in 2022 that PFOA and PFOS are more dangerous than previously thought and pose health risks even at levels so low that they are currently undetectable.
EPA Deputy Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance David Woolman said the Superfund designation is “a major step toward holding polluters accountable for large releases of PFAS into the environment,” adding that the agency is “We intend to use our enforcement discretion to focus on important sources of PFAS.” The contamination is not at farms, municipal landfills, water utilities, municipal airports or local fire departments, he said.
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Water utilities, fire departments and other groups complained that the EPA’s previous proposal could impose unreasonable costs without establishing cleanup standards.
Jonathan Calmes-Katz, an attorney with the environmental group Earthjustice, said the federal designation ensures that the manufacturers most responsible for widespread PFAS contamination will pay for the cleanup.
He said it has become “very difficult” for polluters, including chemical companies that have long produced PFAS, to “pass on” the costs of PFAS releases to affected communities and taxpayers. .
Eric Olson, a health expert with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the EPA’s action will help protect millions of American families exposed to toxic chemicals.
“We all learned in kindergarten that if you make a mess, you should clean it up,” he said. “EPA’s Superfund rule is a big step in the right direction to hold polluters accountable for cleaning up decades of pollution.”
