EPA in a new “progress report” is touting its achievements over the past year in advancing an agency-wide strategy to address PFAS, highlighting work on Superfund hazardous substance designations and drinking water advisories, among other efforts, and announcing plans to hold “community listening sessions” in response to advice from environmental justice (EJ) advisors.
“EPA continues to deliver on its promise to confront PFAS and protect the health of people and communities across the nation,” EPA water office chief Radhika Fox said in a Nov. 17 press release announcing the release of the agency’s progress report on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) actions. “Today’s progress report highlights how much we have accomplished in the first year of implementing the PFAS Roadmap.”
She said it also features upcoming milestones, including efforts to invest $10 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law (BIL) into communities affected by PFAS and other emerging contaminants in water.
The report, “A Year of Progress Under EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap,” highlights major actions advanced under its October 2021 roadmap — which centers on the three goals of “research,” “restrict” and “remediate.”
These actions include the agency’s landmark proposal in late August to designate the two most-studied PFAS as hazardous substances under the Superfund law, its issuance of stringent drinking water health advisories for four PFAS — three of which are now being challenged by industry litigation — and an order under its National PFAS Testing Strategy to require companies to test and sample for 29 PFAS in drinking water starting next year, which the report says lays the groundwork for enhancing data on PFAS. The report also lists other achievements.
