On October 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule in the Federal Register modifying reporting requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). (See 88 Fed. Reg. 74,360 (October 31, 2023).) Specifically, EPA proposed that PFAS compounds on the TRI should be classified as “chemicals of special concern.” Such classification would eliminate the availability of the de minimis exemption to TRI reporting (also known as Section 313 reporting) for both manufacturers and suppliers. It would also require the use of a specific reporting form for the listed PFAS substances (a Form A instead of a Form R).
EPA Drops Pre-Publication of the Long-Anticipated Final Version of Its One-Time PFAS Reporting Rule under TSCA Section 8(a)(7)
On September 28, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the long-awaited one-time reporting rule for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that the Agency had proposed in June 2021 under Section 8(a)(7) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The finalization of this rule is one of the regulatory milestones set forth in the Biden EPA’s 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. This rule will require businesses to provide the EPA information regarding their manufacture or importation of subject PFAS, as well as, most importantly, articles including covered PFAS, since January 1, 2011.
Recent PFAS Settlements Emphasize the Scale of Liability Exposure for Primary Manufacturers
Three notable settlements from June 2023 highlight the immense scale of liability for primary manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
EPA Continues the Beat with an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Additional CERCLA Hazardous Substance Designations for PFAS
On April 13, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) requesting input on seven potential future hazardous substance designations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). (See Addressing PFAS in the Environment, 88 Fed. Reg. 22399, Apr. 13, 2023.)