US environment agency rules for mandatory PFAS reporting

Washington – The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued its final ruling in the case of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) manufactured or used in the country.

The ruling will require manufacturers, including importers, of PFAS and products containing PFAS, to report information about the products to the agency, said a 28 Sept announcement.

The information will include data on the “chemical identity, uses, volumes made and processed, byproducts, environmental and health effects, worker exposure, and disposal,” EPA added.

The agency initially released its proposal in November last year, following more than a year of public consultation on the subject.

Compared to the initial proposal, the final rule expands on the definition of PFAS to include 41 additional PFAS that were identified as being of concern.

EPA said it had determined that at least 1,462 PFAS that are known to have been made or used in the US since 2011 will be subject to the final rule.

The reporting will enable the agency to "better capture the data needed to protect human health and the environment" from these substances.

The final rule, it added, streamlines reporting requirements and reduces the burden for those who make or use small quantities of PFAS for R&D.

Reports must reach the EPA within 18 months of the effective date of the final rule, with an additional six months for small businesses that are solely reporting data on importing PFAS contained in articles.