U.S. EPA: Interim Recommendations for Addressing Groundwater Contaminated with PFOA and PFOS

December 26, 2019

On December 19, 2019, the U.S. EPA issues its, "Interim Recommendations for Addressing Groundwater Contaminated with PFOA and PFOS." This document recommends cleanup guidance for CERCLA, RCRA, and other federal cleanup programs, as part of the EPA's PFAS Action Plan.

The guidance recommends:

Using a screening level of 40 parts per trillion (ppt) to determine if PFOA and/or PFOS is present at a site and may warrant further attention.
Using EPA’s PFOA and PFOS drinking water health advisory level of 70 ppt as the preliminary remediation goal for contaminated groundwater that is a current or potential source of drinking water, where no state or tribal MCL or other applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements are available or sufficiently protective.

This interim plan only pertains to PFOA and PFOS although they may expand to other PFAS in the future. The EPA also states they, “…will follow through on the regulatory development process for listing PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA.”

Find the EPA's factsheet, here.