US EPA changes PFAS rule after signing

August 6, 2020

Read the full article by Britt E. Erickson (C&EN)

"The US Environmental Protection Agency is facing backlash over the way it finalized a rule that requires companies to notify the agency 90 days before making or importing products containing certain long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals, which include perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA), persist in the environment and are linked to cancer, thyroid disease, immune problems, and decreased fertility.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the rule June 22, but the EPA published a different version of it in the Federal Register July 27.

The published version omits a requirement that any part of a product coated with certain PFAS is subject to the rule. Instead, the rule says the EPA plans to issue guidance on which coatings are covered by the rule."