The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled Friday a proposal to designate certain "forever chemicals" as hazardous substances under the 1980 Superfund law.
Why it matters: Designating two of these chemicals as hazardous will increase transparency around releases of the compounds and could allow the EPA to hold polluters accountable by forcing them to clean up their contamination.
How it works: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — dubbed "forever chemicals" for their durability — are extremely strong chemicals that that resist degradation by repelling oil and water and withstanding high temperatures.
Designating PFOA and PFOS — two of the most widely used PFAS — as hazardous in all forms under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act may encourage better waste management and treatment practices by facilities handling the compounds.
Yes, but: PFOA and PFOS and just two types of PFAS, which is are a family of nearly 5,000 types of chemicals.
What they're saying: “Communities have suffered far too long from exposure to these forever chemicals. The action announced today will improve transparency and advance EPA’s aggressive efforts to confront this pollution, as outlined in the Agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.
The other side: The American Chemical Council, which represents major PFAS producers like 3M and Dupont, said Friday the "new proposed CERCLA listing is an expensive, ineffective and unworkable means to achieve remediation for these chemicals."
The big picture: The proposed designation comes after the EPA in June released a new health advisory dramatically reducing the levels of PFOA and PFOS considered safe to drink, based on newly available science indicating that the chemicals were more dangerous than thought.
What's next: The EPA still has to publish the proposed rule in the Federal Register for it to take effect, though it said it would so in the next several weeks.
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