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Welcome to the last of our three posts with our look ahead to 2026—the environmental edition. If you follow this blog, you have probably sensed a trend: environmental regulation rarely moves in a straight line. This coming year will be no different. Below is a more detailed look at three areas we will be watching this year.

1. PFAS Reporting and Liability

Manufacturers will be spending more time thinking about PFAS in 2026. We have been talking about the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) PFAS reporting rule for years, and it is expected to become final early in 2026. As we previously reported, this rule will require manufacturers to report certain information on PFAS-containing articles going back as far as 2011. The EPA proposed some important changes to the rule at the end of 2025, including exemptions for de minimis concentrations, imported articles and chemicals used in research and development. Once the TSCA rule is finalized, it will require manufacturers to report extensive information about PFAS uses, production volumes, byproducts, exposures, and disposal.

In addition to the federal reporting requirement, states are getting in on the action. If your products travel into Minnesota, Minnesota’s sweeping PFAS‑in‑products statute (Amara’s Law) will require you to report products with intentionally added PFAS. By July 1, 2026, manufacturers will be required to disclose product‑specific PFAS details, including the type and amount of the PFAS in the product as well as its purpose or function.

These federal and state reporting obligations create challenges for manufacturers to dive deep into their supply chains in an attempt to gather the required information. For sectors using PFAS indirectly—such as coatings, plastics, electronics, and molded components—the data‑gathering burden may be significant.

In addition to reporting obligations, investigation and remedial obligations related to PFAS are on the rise. The EPA plans to maintain CERCLA hazardous‑substance designations for PFOA and PFOS, signaling continued expansion of PFAS‑related cost recovery and cleanup obligations. That means manufacturers with current or historical PFAS use—or who acquired property with legacy PFAS contamination—will likely face increased risk of enforcement actions or third‑party claims.

2. Water Law Uncertainty: WOTUS and NPDES Permitting Changes

Water regulation remains a challenge for many manufacturers, and 2026 won’t offer much relief. As my colleagues have previously explained, the continued regulatory back‑and‑forth regarding the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act has left manufacturers guessing as to the activities that will trigger Clean Water Act jurisdiction. This matters because facility expansions, stormwater projects, and wetlands issues all hinge on these key jurisdictional determinations.

At the same time, both EPA and states are tightening oversight of NPDES permitting for indirect discharges. Manufacturers whose wastewater enters complex conveyance systems, such as municipal treatment systems, may face additional pretreatment, sampling, monitoring, and recordkeeping obligations as regulators try to close gaps in indirect discharge oversight. Spoiler alert—PFAS are emerging in this context, too.

3. The Patchwork of State Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Laws

For manufacturers selling their products into multiple states, the growing patchwork of packaging EPR laws is quickly becoming a compliance challenge. A number of states, including Colorado, California, and Minnesota, now have packaging EPR programs, each with different definitions of producer, different covered packaging materials, and different registration and reporting deadlines. And many states, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, are poised to follow.

The variability in these laws makes it difficult for manufacturers looking to develop a one-size-fits-all approach. Manufacturers should stay on top of these laws and their requirements in an attempt to develop as streamlined a strategy as possible for compliance.

Last week, Jeff kicked off our 2022 outlook for manufacturers, covering corporate compliance and litigation. This week, I am turning to the environmental, health, and safety issues that may occupy the minds and the time of manufacturers in 2022.

1. Emerging Contaminants

We have been talking about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for so long now they hardly seem to qualify as “emerging.” But this year, EPA is expected to take a number of specific actions that will directly impact manufacturers. At the end of last year, EPA issued its PFAS Strategic Roadmap, outlining its action plan for PFAS through 2024. Notably, the Roadmap begins by classifying PFAS EPA’s approach into three directives: Research, Restrict, and Remediate.

In 2022, EPA aims to greatly expand monitoring of public drinking water supplies for PFAS. It also intends propose a rule to establish national primary drinking water regulations for two of the main PFAS compounds—PFOA and PFOS. To use an often-repeated phrase, when you look for PFAS compounds, you find them. This increased sampling, likely detection, and ultimate regulation of PFAS in public water supplies will likely lead to further legal action, as water suppliers and regulators alike look for the parties responsible for the PFAS they are almost certain to find when they start looking.

EPA is also expected to use Clean Water Act wastewater discharge permits as a way to reduce PFAS discharges. In 2022, EPA plans to restrict PFAS discharges from certain industrial categories—organic chemicals plastics, and synthetic fibers; metal finishing; and electroplating— as well as to study the potential for a number of other industries to contribute PFAS to the nation’s waterways through their discharges.

EPA has long talked about designating PFOA and PFOS (and potentially other PFAS compounds) as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). 2022 may be the year. EPA has committed to proposing that designation for PFOA and PFOS in 2022, with a final rule coming in 2023. It also plans to undertake formal efforts to determine whether other PFAS compounds should share this designation. The “hazardous substances” designation will allow EPA greater authority to seek information on, and require cleanup of, PFAS, and it will also open PFAS contamination up to the wild world of Superfund litigation.

We could devote the rest of this post to the potential for PFAS-related developments in 2022, but alas, there are other things we need to keep our eye on as well. But it is important to note that EPA is planning actions to further regulate PFAS across the board—under the programs listed above as well as the Toxic Substances Control Act, Clean Air Act, and others. And this is to say nothing of proposed state actions related to PFAS, which we also expect to heat up in 2022.

Contrary to what you might think based on the content of this post so far, PFAS is not the only emerging contaminant on our radar. Another one to watch in 2022 is microplastics. Microplastics are exactly what they sound like—tiny, often microscopic particles of plastic that can either be directly released into the environment or formed as a result of breakdown of larger plastics. California has already started down the road of developing regulations for microplastics, even while the scientific community still works to determine the potential human health and environmental impacts associated with them. Notably, California is working towards developing analytical testing methods for microplastics in 2022, which may kick off a wave of studies to determine how pervasive they truly are—and what to do about it.

2. ESG Developments

While we continue to wait for more formal and consistent disclosure regulations from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding ESG—environmental, social, and governance—factors, manufacturers are already dealing with ESG in a variety of ways. It is finding its way into corporate filings, board rooms, courtrooms, press releases, the media (traditional and social), and the minds of both investors and consumers. And it is having real consequences on the bottom line.

Many manufacturers have been making climate change-related disclosures for years, albeit under a general standard of materiality that is generally left to the interpretation of the discloser. In some cases, these disclosures have been used to tout a company’s sustainability profile, and advertising and marketing efforts typically follow suit. But as consumers and investors grow increasingly interested in—and educated about—environmental issues, these sustainability statements can sometimes have the opposite impact. Many manufacturers have been the targets of greenwashing lawsuits, with plaintiffs alleging consumer protection violations when a manufacturer’s claims about a particular product do not match up with reality. These claims have also found their way into shareholder derivative suits, as we have previously reported. We can expect to see this activity continue, and likely increase, in 2022, as consumers and investors continue to meaningfully dig in to corporate sustainability claims as they evaluate their purchases and investments.

3. Environmental Justice Guidance

In 2022, EPA is expected to issue important guidance that has the potential to advance the Biden Administration’s environmental justice agenda. The document, “Guidelines for Cumulative Risk Assessment Planning and Problem Formation,” will provide a framework to analyze cumulative risk in situations of exposure to multiple environmental hazards. The guidance, which has been in the works for years, will be particularly important in assessing the impacts on vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. The guidance will be used in a broad range of environmental programs and is expected to impact cleanup priorities and enforcement decisions.

4. Employee Safety Related to COVID-19

If you are a regular reader, you know that we spent significant time in 2021 covering the myriad OSHA developments related to COVID-19. And while the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) related to vaccines and testing appears to be on life support, OSHA has made it clear that it will do everything in its power to protect the nation’s workforce from COVID-19. Will that be through the ETS, another OSHA standard, or already-adopted guidance and the General Duty Clause? Only time will tell, but we can expect to see increased inspection and enforcement in 2022.

Welcome to 2020! As always, we at the Manufacturing Law Blog are starting the year with our annual forecasts of hot topics. We start the series with our Environmental, Health & Safety outlook.

PFAS

We highlighted per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, as a hot topic in last year’s 2019 outlook post, saying, “If you haven’t yet heard of PFAS, you will.” This year, we think it is safe to say you’ve probably heard of them. PFAS are getting a lot of attention everywhere you look, state regulations, federal plans, court rooms, around the deal table, and even on the silver screen. PFAS manufacturing facilities may have been the first targets, but landfills and other potential release sites are gaining attention from regulators and plaintiffs alike. States are moving quickly to adopt regulations, or at the very least request information from parties that do have or may have had a connection to PFAS compounds.

With all of this attention, there has been a growing effort to sample water supplies to evaluate potential exposure issues. These efforts are sure to turn up additional PFAS contamination areas, particularly given the lengthy and prolific use of these compounds. As we identify more and more areas of contamination, the network of potentially responsible parties could expand beyond PFAS manufacturers to include landfill operators, property owners, and PFAS users and suppliers, among others.

EPA developed and released its PFAS Action Plan in February 2019, but the process to change federal regulations and standards is, well, slow. Congress is trying to speed up the action, with House bill H.R. 535 requiring time frames for a number of regulatory and other actions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act. The Senate and White House vow a fight, but in 2020, it’s safe to say everyone is getting in on the PFAS action.

OSHA Inspection Weighting  

In late 2019, OSHA developed new standards for how it prioritizes inspections. Previously, OSHA focused on the length of time an inspection would take and the number of inspections performed. Under the new Enforcement Weighting System, OSHA is prioritizing inspections based on a number of factors with a goal of targeting higher risk activities and establishments. OSHA plans to prioritize inspections in a weighted fashion in the order listed below:

Group A: Criminal and significant cases

Group B:

  • Fatalities and catastrophes
  • Chemical plan national enforcement priority and process safety management covered inspections

Group C:

  • Caught-in hazards, such as trenching, equipment operations, oil & gas
  • Electrical hazards, such as overhead power lines, electrical wiring methods
  • Fall hazards, such as scaffolds, elevated walking working surfaces
  • Struck-by hazards, such as highway work zones, landscaping, material handling

 Group D:

  • Programmed inspections following an established priority of hazards that are time insensitive and a high priority, such as:
    • Amputation
    • Combustible dust
    • Ergonomics
    • Federal agency inspections
    • Heat hazards
    • Non-permissible exposure limit overexposures
    • Workplace violence hazards
    • Confined space hazards
    • Personal sampling
    • Site-specific targeting

 Group E: all other inspections

This weighting system provides good insight into the types of hazards that might attract OSHA’s attention in 2020.

EPA Focus on Air and Water

EPA sets National Compliance Initiatives (NCIs, formerly known as National Enforcement Initiatives) for multi-year periods to focus its compliance and enforcement resources. The newly established NCIs focus on EPA’s bread and butter—air and water. For FYs 2020-2023, EPA plans to focus on reducing air emissions of hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds, particularly when those emissions would contribute to non-attainment with National Ambient Air Quality Standards or would adversely affect vulnerable populations. EPA also plans to reduce significant noncompliance with the Clean Water Act permit program. EPA has identified approximately 11,000 permittees with effluent violations that are significantly noncompliant. EPA plans to cut the incidence of significant noncompliance in half by the end of FY 2022.

On Valentine’s Day, EPA showed a little love for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), announcing a sweeping plan to address PFAS contamination and protect public health. PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that have been gaining a lot of attention, as described in our 2019 outlook. EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the PFAS Action Plan in a press conference yesterday, calling it “the most comprehensive, cross- agency action plan for a chemical of concern ever undertaken by the Agency.” The Action Plan is 72 pages, but Acting Administrator Wheeler focused on five key elements, described below:

  1. Work Towards the Development of MCLs for PFOA and PFOS

EPA will propose regulatory determinations for PFOA and PFOS—two of the most common PFAS compounds—by the end of 2019. These regulatory determinations are the first step under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) towards the development of Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). EPA has not set a time frame for the actual development of the MCLs, instead citing to the timing and procedures required by the regulatory process (including public comment). While EPA committed to issuing regulatory determinations for these two specific compounds, it will continue to evaluate the need to follow this same process for other PFAS compounds.

  1. Continue PFAS Enforcement Efforts

Despite the fact that EPA has not established an MCL for any of the PFAS compounds, it intends to continue enforcement efforts based on the current drinking water advisory of 70 parts per trillion. EPA has already brought eight enforcement actions based on this advisory, and it is assisting state agencies in dozens of other enforcement actions based on state PFAS standards. EPA has also started the regulatory process towards classifying PFOA and PFOS as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), a listing that will allow EPA (and private parties) broader enforcement authority.

  1. Expand PFAS Monitoring Efforts

More data means better understanding, and EPA plans to make use of its authority to expand PFAS monitoring to help guide its decision-making process. EPA plans to propose that PFAS be included in the next round of monitoring under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Program in the SDWA. EPA may also use the Toxic Substances Control Act to require reporting of certain PFAS releases and potentially prohibit the use of certain PFAS compounds.

  1. Expand Scientific Research into PFAS Compounds

EPA plans to use research efforts to “close the gap” on a number of PFAS issues, including:

  • What are the human health and environmental effects?
  • What are significant sources of PFAS in the environment?
  • How do PFAS compounds move through the environment?
  • How can we effectively remediate PFAS?
  • What are the costs of PFAS remediation?

EPA plans to evaluate these issues not only for more common PFAS compounds like PFOA and PFOS, but also for emerging PFAS risks, such as GenX.

  1. Develop PFAS Risk Communication Toolbox

EPA will work with federal, state, tribal, and local partners to develop a comprehensive risk communication toolbox to ensure that PFAS messaging to the public is clear and consistent.

Because the Action Plan is just that—a plan—we will continue to track EPA’s progress. States continue to take a leading role in regulating PFAS, but the new EPA Action Plan now provides a road map for federal action.

This is the last of our three-part series of predictions for 2019. First Matt provided our thoughts and predictions in the labor/employment arena. Last week, Jeff gave our outlook for corporate compliance and litigation. Last but not least, this week I am providing our predictions for hot topics in environmental, health, and safety compliance, enforcement, and litigation.

Emerging Contaminants

If you haven’t yet heard of PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—you will. This group of man-made chemicals has been used for decades in all kinds of products, from firefighting foam to aerospace products, from building materials to outdoor apparel. PFAS are persistent in the environment and the human body, and preliminary evidence suggests that PFAS can lead to a variety of adverse health effects.

While the EPA has established health advisories for certain PFAS compounds, these advisories are not enforceable. Instead, the states have been busy developing their own regulatory standards. Some states are also requiring that parties investigate for PFAS compounds at regulated sites, even if there is no evidence that PFAS compounds were used or released at the site. And, as most people will tell you, if you test for PFAS, you usually find it.

PFAS detections are already the subject of a number of lawsuits, and we expect more cases to be filed in 2019. So far, the primary targets of these suits have been PFAS manufacturers, but the cast of defendants could be expanded to manufacturers of products that contain PFAS, landfill operators, and property owners, among others. PFAS are also becoming a hot due diligence topic, with increased attention and investigation focused on them in corporate and real estate deals. In short, these emerging contaminants will really hit the scene in 2019.

Targeted OSHA Inspections

According to its Congressional Budget Justification, OSHA plans to conduct about 1,500 fewer investigations in fiscal year 2019, for a target of 30,840 workplace inspections. While the overall number of inspections might be down, OSHA will emphasize the need for detailed, in-depth inspections in 2019. OSHA intends to focus its inspection efforts on the highest risk workplaces, conducting complex inspections (using drones?) that will aim to have the highest safety impact. OSHA also plans to balance the use of compliance assistance programs with enforcement tools to ensure that “mission critical field activities are given equal measure when compared to enforcement activity.”

Redefining Waters of the United States

At the end of 2018, the Trump administration released its proposed rule to redefine “waters of the United States”, the term that determines the scope of the federal Clean Water Act. The scope of the Clean Water Act impacts a number of manufacturing activities, from process discharges to site development.

As expected, the proposed rule scales back what qualifies as a water of the United States. If the rule is finalized, Clean Water Act jurisdiction would not extend to most roadside ditches, ephemeral streams, or wetlands that do not have a surface water connection to another jurisdictional water. This definition would provide clarity for manufacturers grappling with the current reach of the Clean Water Act. However, it will no doubt be subject to intense public comment and litigation from environmental groups that are looking to avoid any actual or perceived jurisdictional roll back. This will certainly be an issue to follow in 2019.

Continued TSCA Reform

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform is an EPA priority, and we can expect that to continue in 2019. With the appointment of Alexandra Dapolito Dunn as the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, EPA is poised to continue rolling out its draft risk evaluations for the 10 substances prioritized in July 2017 (well, that is, after the shutdown of course). These risk evaluations will likely be subject to scrutiny from the regulated and environmental communities for a number of reasons—the conditions of use evaluated by EPA, the thoroughness of the risks identified, and, potentially, the public nature of the scientific studies addressing potential risks. Manufacturers may want to keep an eye towards the TSCA reform process in 2019 to ensure that they have adequate input into this risk evaluation process.

Thank you to my colleague, Emilee Mooney Scott, for her contributions to this post. Emilee is an associate in our Environmental & Utilities Practice Group.

As we outlined earlier this year, the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) was recently updated to provide EPA with much broader authority to regulate “existing” chemical substances (i.e., those that are already in use in commerce).

In general, EPA’s review of existing chemical substances under its new TSCA authority will follow these three steps:

  • Prioritization: screening process to identify chemical substances that may pose an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment and designate them as “high priority” for further study.
  • Risk Evaluation: evaluation of a high priority substance to evaluate whether it does in fact pose an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.
  • Risk Management: for substances that do present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, EPA will develop a rule to mitigate such risk.

In the TSCA reform bill, EPA was also directed to identify the first ten substances for risk evaluation (skipping over the prioritization step) by December of this year. EPA released that list on November 29.  The first ten substances to be evaluated are:

  • 1,4-Dioxane (solvent, stabilizer)
  • 1-Bromopropane (solvent)
  • Asbestos (wide variety of uses, e.g. building materials)
  • Carbon Tetrachloride (precursor in refrigerant manufacturing, solvent)
  • Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster (flame retardant)
  • Methylene Chloride (solvent)
  • N-methylpyrrolidone or “NMP” (solvent)
  • Pigment Violet 29 (pigment)
  • Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or “perc” (dry cleaning)
  • Trichloroethylene or “TCE” (solvent)

These substances were selected from EPA’s 2014 Update to the TSCA Work Plan for Chemical Assessments (“TSCA Work Plan”).  As EPA identifies further chemical substances for prioritization and risk evaluation, it must select at least half of them from the TSCA Work Plan.  By December of 2019, EPA must have at least 20 risk evaluations in progress at a time.

By June of 2017, EPA must publish the scope of the risk evaluations on each of the ten chemical substances above, which will trigger a public comment period allowing stakeholders to weigh in.  The risk evaluations must be completed within three years (i.e., by December 2019) and if EPA determines that any of the substances pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment, then EPA must issue a risk management rule within two years of the completion of the risk evaluation.  In short, while EPA has identified its first ten substances, the final rules resulting from this process are approximately five years away.

EPA Issuing Rules on TCE, NMP and methylene chloride

Separately, EPA had been using its pre-existing TSCA authority to evaluate risks posed by substances on the TSCA Work Plan.  EPA is expected to release proposed rules on NMP and methylene chloride in the coming weeks. The proposed rule on TCE was issued on December 7.  The proposed TCE rule would prohibit the manufacture, import, processing, and distribution in commerce of TCE for use in aerosol degreasing and for use in spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities.

The fact that EPA has also identified TCE, NMP and methylene chloride for review under its new TSCA authority suggests that the new risk evaluations may address different use scenarios, and/or that EPA is providing itself some insurance in the face of a change in administrations.

So, what does this mean for you?  You may wish to take a look at your chemical use to see if you use any of the ten chemical substances listed above, or any other chemical substances listed in the TSCA Work Plan.  If you do use any TSCA Work Plan substances, watch for opportunities to provide comment as EPA develops the scope for its risk evaluation and any eventual risk management rule.  Alternately, remain alert to opportunities to transition away from at-risk substances on your own time, before new regulations force a transition.

Even if you’re well-versed in environmental statutes, one you might not spend a lot of time thinking about is the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA.  That’s because, with a few notable exceptions (PCBs being a good example), TSCA currently focuses on regulating new chemicals as they are introduced into commerce, or on significant new uses for existing chemicals, issues that are not generally of concern to manufacturers.   That may soon change.

TSCA has not been updated since it was passed in 1976.  There have been efforts at reform, spurred on by both the chemical industry, which feels that TSCA is stymieing innovation, and from those concerned about the extent of possible harmful and unregulated chemicals in the marketplace, who would like TSCA to more robustly regulate existing chemicals.   For many reasons, not the least of which is these competing interests, TSCA has not changed.  But TSCA reform has gotten more attention recently, and adoption does seem possible.

The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act was introduced this week in the Senate by Senator David Vitter (R-LA) and Senator Tom Udall (D-NM).  This is clearly a bipartisan bill, co-sponsored by 8 Republicans and 8 Democrats. The bill itself is lengthy, and as a rewrite of an existing law, dense.  That said, here are a few key takeaways, excerpted from the Vitter press release.

  • Strengthens the Safety Standard by mandating that EPA base chemical safety decisions solely on considerations of risk to public health and the environment.
  • Mandates safety reviews for new and existing chemicals
  • Strengthens Protections for the Most Vulnerable – specifically infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly
  • Creates additional requirements and sets reasonable limits on Confidential Business Information claims
  • Preserves Existing Private Rights of Action
  • Balances State and Federal Regulations

We’ll be watching the progress of TSCA reform, and considering how this bill, if passed, will impact manufacturers. As a minimum, by changing the way we regulate chemicals in the US, it may result in the removal of certain chemicals from commerce, as too dangerous, and will require anyone who uses chemicals in any process to reevaluate their use.

This post was co-authored by Environmental, Energy + Telecommunications group partners Jonathan Schaefer and Emilee Mooney Scott and is being shared on our Environmental Law + blog. If you’re interested in getting updates on developments affecting environmental regulation, we invite you to subscribe to the blog.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Administrator Lee Zeldin, has unveiled its anticipated strategy for addressing the pervasive issue of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as “forever chemicals.” While the announcement provides a broad framework, specific details (particularly regarding potential changes to previous rulemakings under CERCLA and the Safe Drinking Water Act) remain unclear. The EPA’s strategy is built upon three core pillars: strengthening the underlying science; fulfilling statutory obligations and improving communication; and actively building partnerships with stakeholders. However, Administrator Zeldin’s approach largely echoes the core principles outlined in the EPA’s 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap, indicating a degree of continuity in the federal government’s focus on these persistent chemicals.

Under the “Strengthening the Science” pillar, the EPA plans to appoint a dedicated lead for PFAS efforts, implement a comprehensive testing strategy under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to seek scientific information informed by hazard characteristics and exposure pathways, and increase efforts to collect air related PFAS data and improve measurement techniques. The agency will also work to identify and address information gaps and provide more frequent, annual updates to the PFAS Destruction and Disposal Guidance.

The “Fulfilling Statutory Obligations and Enhancing Communication” pillar outlines the EPA’s commitment to developing effluent limitations guidelines for PFAS manufacturers and metal finishers, addressing challenges with national primary drinking water regulations, and leveraging RCRA authorities to tackle releases from manufacturing operations. The EPA will also add PFAS to the Toxic Release Inventory (an existing direction from Congress), enforce existing Clean Water Act and TSCA limitations, and utilize Safe Drinking Water Act authority to address immediate endangerment. Prioritizing risk-based review of chemicals and implementing TSCA Section 8(a)(7) to collect information “efficiently” are also key aspects. Finally, Zeldin intends to work with Congress and industry to establish a “polluter pays” liability framework, with a reference to protecting “passive receivers.”

Finally, the “Building Partnerships” pillar emphasizes collaboration to advance remediation and cleanup efforts, working with states on risk assessment and tool development, and reviewing comments and determining the path forward regarding PFAS in biosolids risk assessment. The EPA will also aid states and tribes on enforcement, review state air petitions, and support investigations to hold violators accountable.

Although substantially reflective of some Biden-era initiatives, Zeldin’s plan introduces differences, such as an increased emphasis on air emissions and a single agency-wide PFAS lead instead of a council. The reference to TSCA Section 8(a)(7) also suggests potential amendments to the PFAS reporting rule. This initial announcement is presented as the first step, with further actions expected, highlighting Zeldin’s stated commitment to addressing PFAS.

As the Biden-Harris administration draws to a close, EPA has issued its third annual report touting the progress made under the PFAS Strategic Roadmap.

In the report, EPA notes the major legal, technical, and policy developments it has enacted since the PFAS Strategic Roadmap was adopted in 2021. Those developments include the following:

  • Designation of PFOA and PFOS as CERCLA Hazardous Substances. This final rule will allow EPA and others to pursue potentially responsible parties under CERCLA for PFAS contamination. According to EPA, this designation will ensure that polluters, and not taxpayers, will pay for PFAS cleanups.
  • Creation of Drinking Water Standards for Certain PFAS. This final rule established enforceable drinking water standards for 5 individual PFAS and mixtures of any 2 or more of 4 individual PFAS. These drinking water standards are as low as 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS.
  • Chemical and Product Regulation. EPA has enacted or proposed a number of regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to eliminate and reduce PFAS in commerce. It also is requiring manufacturers and importers of PFAS (including PFAS-containing items) to report PFAS-related information to EPA by (in most cases) January 11, 2026.
  • Issuance of PFAS Enforcement Strategy. EPA issued a PFAS Enforcement Discretion and Settlement Policy Under CERCLA, detailing its priorities and plans when it comes to PFAS enforcement. In the policy, EPA makes it clear that it intends to pursue enforcement against manufacturing and industrial entities, and not public entities that operate water and wastewater systems, airports, or fire stations.
  • PFAS-Related Investments. The Biden-Harris administration committed to investing significant funds to address PFAS contamination, including $10 billion to assist communities and water systems impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants.
  • Advancing the Science on PFAS. EPA has engaged in a number of initiatives to gather more data about the presence of PFAS in the environment and in products, analyze appropriate test methods, and study potential human health risks associated with a variety of PFAS compounds.

EPA also announced future priorities, which include developing effluent limitations guidelines for the PFAS manufacturing sector. If adopted, these guidelines would restrict PFAS in discharges from potentially a number of industrial entities, including metal finishers and landfills. EPA also continues to invest in collecting data from a variety of sources, including wastewater treatment facilities, to further understand where PFAS are being found so it can develop effective ways to address them.

Of course, with the impending change in administrations could come a change in EPA’s priorities related to PFAS. The change could also impact initiatives and regulations that are already in place or in the works. We will continue to monitor PFAS developments as we head into 2025.

This week’s post is authored by Emilee Mooney Scott and is also available on Robinson+Cole’s Environmental Law + blog. Thank you to Emilee for contributing. Emilee is a partner in the firm’s Environmental, Energy + Telecommunications Group, focusing her practice on a variety of environmental compliance and transactional matters, including emerging contaminants.

As we have previously reported, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of substances coming under increasing regulatory scrutiny.  As manufacturers ring in the new year they should be aware of two new PFAS reporting requirements that could need careful attention in 2024.

De Minimis Exemption No Longer Available for PFAS Under EPCRA

Certain PFAS have been subject to Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) since 2020. This reporting obligation began with an initial list of 172 PFAS, which has since expanded.  That said, only a few dozen facilities submitted TRI reports for PFAS in each of the years since 2020.  EPA followed up with facilities from which it had expected to receive filings, and reported that such facilities had concluded that TRI reporting was not necessary because of the de minimis exemption to TRI reporting.   Under the de minimis exemption, substances present in mixtures in a concentration below 1 percent (or 0.1 percent for carcinogens) could be omitted from TRI reports.  Since PFAS are often present in mixtures in very low concentrations the de minimis exemption essentially allowed almost all PFAS to remain unreported.

By a new rule published on October 31, 2023, EPA designated PFAS subject to TRI reporting as “chemicals of special concern” subject to enhanced reporting requirements.  Because chemicals of special concern are not subject to the de minimis exemption to TRI reporting, and must be reported even in minute concentrations, this change will dramatically increase the amount of PFAS subject to reporting in the 2024 reporting year (2024 TRI filings are due July 1, 2025).

A second PFAS-related change to EPCRA reporting requirements has already gone into effect and might already be impacting your supply chain.  EPCRA requires that certain suppliers of mixtures and/or trade name chemical products must disclose to their customers the presence of any TRI-reportable substance in their products unless such substance is present below the de minimis concentration of 1 percent (0.1 percent for carcinogens).   In the same October 31 final rule, EPA also eliminated the use of the de minimis exemption to supplier notification requirements for any chemicals of special concern (including TRI-reportable PFAS, and also lead, mercury, and other chemicals of special concern).  As a result, manufacturers may soon learn that products in their supply chain contain small concentrations of PFAS that would not have been previously reported or disclosed because they would have been below the de minimis threshold.  This enhanced knowledge would in turn also inform TRI reports for the chemicals of special concern.

TSCA Reporting Rule for Manufacturers and Importers

Under a new PFAS reporting rule promulgated under the Toxic Substances Control Act on October 11, 2023, any entity that manufactured (including imported) PFAS or PFAS-containing articles in any year since 2011 must provide EPA information on PFAS identity, concentration, uses, production volumes, disposal, exposures, and hazards.  The definition of PFAS under TSCA is much broader than under EPCRA (defined by chemical properties rather than a list of substances) and could apply to thousands of different compounds.

It is important to note that TSCA defines manufacturing to include importing.  Furthermore, unlike some other TSCA reporting requirements, the new PFAS reporting rules will apply to finished product “articles” in addition to bulk chemicals, so importers of finished articles are subject to reporting rules for products that might have had PFAS added several steps earlier in the supply chain.  For example, a jacket made from fabric that has been treated with a PFAS-containing water-repellent coating would be considered a PFAS-containing article subject to the reporting rule if imported since January 1, 2011. 

The more complex the item, and the more different components are included, the more opportunities for PFAS-containing components to be present.  Even something simple like a desktop speaker could include wires (potentially sheathed with PTFE), plastic casing (which may have been strengthened with PFAS-imparting processes), and fabric (treated with a PFAS-containing water and stain-repellent coating).  Fortunately, manufacturers and importers are only required to provide the information “known to or reasonably ascertainable” by the filer, and for earlier years in the reporting period, there might be little, if any, information available.  Even so, a careful examination of the supply chain and related records may be required in order to understand your reporting obligations and/or document what information (if any) is known or reasonably ascertainable.

Reporting forms are due within 18 months after the effective date of the rule (i.e., by May 13, 2025) except for small article importers, who must report within 24 months after the effective date (i.e., by November 13, 2025).

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