On December 10, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of a draft compliance guide that outlines which imported articles are covered by EPA’s July 2020 final significant new use rule (SNUR) that prohibits companies from manufacturing, importing, processing, or using certain long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) without prior EPA review and approval. The draft guide will be “the official compliance guide for imported articles that may contain long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylate chemical substances as part of a surface coating.” According to EPA, the draft guide provides additional clarity on what is meant by a “surface coating”; identifies which entities are regulated; describes the activities that are required or prohibited; and summarizes the notification requirements of the final SNUR. EPA intends to publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the draft guidance and beginning a 30-day comment period. For more information on the draft guidance, please review the full memorandum.

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