Washington (AP) Environmental Protection Agency Two permanent chemicals used in cookware, carpets and firefighting foam were designated as hazardous substances on Friday, a move aimed at ensuring faster cleanup of toxic compounds and requiring industries and others responsible for contamination to pay for cleanup costs.
Designation as hazardous substances under the Superfund Act does not prohibit these chemicals, i.e. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). But it requires that chemical releases to soil or water at or above certain levels must be reported to federal, state or tribal officials. The EPA may then require cleanup efforts to protect public health and recoup costs that could run into tens of millions of dollars.
PFOA and PFOS have been voluntarily phased out by U.S. manufacturers, but their use remains limited and they remain in the environment because they do not degrade over time.These compounds are part of a larger cluster forever chemicals known as PFAS Used in industrial and consumer products since the 1940s This includes non-stick frying pans, waterproof sports gear, stain-resistant rugs and cosmetics.
The term PFAS is an abbreviation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals can accumulate in the body and remain there for a long time. Evidence from animal and human studies suggests that exposure to PFOA or PFOS may cause cancer or other health problems, including liver and heart damage and developmental problems in infants and children.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mike Reagan said President Joe Biden’s administration understands the permanent threat chemicals pose to the health of families across the country. Bringing these chemicals into our Superfund authority will allow EPA to treat more contaminated sites, take action earlier and speed up cleanups, while ensuring polluters pay the costs of cleaning up contamination that threatens community health.
The final rule released Friday follows the stringent limits set by the EPA on certain PFAS in drinking water This would require utilities to reduce it to the lowest level that can be reliably measured. Officials say the drinking water rules announced on April 10 will reduce drinking water intake by 100 million people and help prevent thousands of diseases, including cancer.
The American Chemistry Council, which represents the chemical industry, said it strongly opposes the EPA’s action and believes it will undermine the overall remediation of PFAS pollution.
The group said in a statement Friday that the Superfund law is an expensive, ineffective and unfeasible means to achieve remediation of these chemicals. The 1980 law is rife with unintended consequences that could lead to widespread, unnecessary delays in cleanup efforts. PFAS sites.
Last year, three chemical companies announced they had reached $1.18 billion deal Resolve complaints that PFAS contaminates many U.S. drinking water systems. DuPont de Nemours Inc., Chemours Co. and Corteva Inc. said they would set up a fund to compensate water suppliers for pollution problems.
Earlier this month, chemicals maker 3M announced it would begin Payments to many U.S. public drinking water systems as a multi-billion dollar settlement Excessive contamination by permanent chemicals.
In addition to the final rule, the EPA issued a notice clarifying that the agency will focus enforcement efforts on businesses and individuals that significantly contribute to the release of PFAS chemicals into the environment, including by manufacturing PFAS or during the manufacturing process Companies that use PFAS, as well as federal agencies and other responsible groups.
PFAS used in firefighting foam contaminates groundwater Military bases and their vicinity and other locations used for training exercises.
Superfund Act Allows the EPA to clean up contaminated sites across the country and forces parties responsible for pollution to either clean up or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanups. Superfund provides funding and authority to the EPA to clean up contaminated sites when the responsible party cannot be identified.
The EPA’s action comes after the National Academy of Sciences released a report saying PFAS pose a serious threat to public health in the United States and around the world. The EPA said in 2022 that PFOA and PFOS More dangerous than previously imagined Even levels so low that they are currently undetectable can pose a health risk.
David Uhlmann, EPA’s assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance, called the Superfund designation an important step in holding polluters accountable for large releases of PFAS into the environment. “Officials intend to exercise our enforcement discretion to focus on significant sources of PFAS contamination,” he said, rather than farmers, municipal landfills, water utilities, municipal airports or local fire departments.
Water companies, fire departments and other groups complained that the EPA’s earlier proposal could impose unfair costs on them without clear cleanup standards.
Jonathan Kalmus-Katz, an attorney for the environmental group Earthjustice, said the federal designation will ensure that manufacturers most responsible for widespread PFAS contamination will bear the cost of cleanup.
He said it has become more difficult for polluters, including chemical companies that have long produced PFAS, to pass on the costs of their PFAS emissions to affected communities and taxpayers.
Eric Olson, a health expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the EPA’s action will help protect millions of American families exposed to toxic chemicals.
“We all learned in kindergarten that if we make a mess, we should clean it up,” he said. The EPA Superfund rule is a big step in the right direction, holding polluters accountable for cleaning up decades of pollution.
West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, the top Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, called the EPA’s action unwise and said it leaves local communities and taxpayers vulnerable to PFAS Trapped in contamination that they had nothing to do with in the first place.
Capito said the Superfund designation could have a disproportionate impact on water and waste facilities, airports, farmers, ranchers and fire departments, adding that the agency’s action underscores Congress’ need to act to address PFAS. necessity.
“We must pass legislation to protect American taxpayers from the financial burden caused by this misguided rule,” she said.
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