EPA sends two PFAS actions to OMB for review
On September 25, EPA sent two actions that address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for interagency review. EPA’s first action is an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking that would allow the public to provide input on adding PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) toxic chemical list.
The second action is a supplemental proposal to ensure that certain persistent long-chain PFAS chemicals cannot be imported into the U.S. without notification and review by EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act in 2016. EPA has the authority to deny such “significant new use requests” under TSCA.
The Agency says both actions are critical steps in its efforts to help provide communities with additional information about PFAS chemicals.
PFAS are found in a wide range of consumer products such as cookware, pizza boxes, and stain repellants, meaning most people have been exposed to them. Certain PFAS can accumulate and stay in the human body for long periods of time, and there is evidence that exposure can lead to adverse health outcomes.