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In October of 2021, EPA released their PFAS Strategic Roadmap, which outlines a timeline for specific actions and commitments to protect public health and the environment and hold polluters accountable. Key goals include investing in research to increase understanding of PFAS exposures and toxicities, working toward a comprehensive approach to restricting PFAS from entering air, land, and water, and expanding PFAS cleanup to protect human health and ecological systems.

In the first year following the release of the PFAS Strategic Roadmap, several important actions were taken.  These actions include:

• Initiate a nationwide monitoring program to test for PFAS in drinking water as part of the fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule [UCMR]). 
• Two commonly used PFAS compounds (PFOA and PFOS) were proposed to be designated as CERCLA hazardous substances.
• A new rule was proposed to improve reporting PFAS to the TRI, which would eliminate the de minimis exemption for reporting.
• Drinking water advisories were issued for four PFAS compounds.
• An order under the National PFAS Testing Strategy started requiring companies to test for PFAS, with national sampling for 29 PFAS in drinking water to begin in 2023.
• Funding distribution under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was put toward cleaning up PFAS in water.
• More than 30 scientific publications were issued to increase understanding of PFAS.
• EPA also provided webinars to inform the public of the ongoing PFAS related actions.

As we are coming to a close on the second year since the Strategic Roadmap was released, the EPA has taken further actions to research, restrict, and remediate PFAS. The PFAS Analytic Tools webpage has been released that gathers multiple sources of PFAS information in one place. A new rule to the national drinking water standard was proposed to establish legal levels for six PFAS compounds known to be found in drinking water. The EPA also issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, requesting public input for future hazardous substance designation of PFAS under CERCLA as a follow up to the 2022 proposal that included PFOA and PFOS to be designated as hazardous substances.  Proposed changes to the air emissions reporting requirements were also released for public comment in the summer of 2023. 

In July 2023, the 4th draft of Method 1633 was released, which is the final version of methods for wastewater, groundwater, and surface water samples but still a draft for solids (soils, biosolids, sediment) and tissue samples. Previously, the only analytical methods were related to drinking water, so the development of Method 1633 has provided a standardized method for these matrices. Additionally, the development of Method 1633 has expanded the reportable compounds from 18 with Method 537.1 to 40 with Method 1633. 

As we move into Year 3 EPA is expected to finalize the regulations proposed in years 1 and 2.  There is also expected to be additional focus on air as the EPA continues to build a technical foundation related to that pathway. Method 1633 is also anticipated to be finalized in the coming year, which will provide a standardizestandardized method for aqueous and solid matrices.  

Sources:

EPA PFAS Strategic Roadmap

EPA PFAS Strategic Roadmap: A Year of Progress

Method 1633 4th Draft

HRP PFAS Pulse Podcast

Author: Carly Saindon 
Project Consultant