
PFAS – Looking to the Future
December 7, 2022 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
PFAS or Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, have been around since the 1940s and are used in a wide-range of industrial and commercial applications and consumer products. Toxicological studies have shown that exposure to PFAS can potentially result in liver, endocrine, immunological, and reproductive effects, as well as cancer. The U.S. EPA first developed a “PFAS Action Plan” in 2019. Among other things, that Action Plan included developing MCLs on two of the best-studied PFAS compounds, and identifying PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If implemented, both of these regulatory pushes have far-reaching effects on the regulated community. These actions were further realized in EPA’s more recent “PFAS Strategic Roadmap” (October 2021), and the August 2022 proposed rulemaking effort for designating two PFAS constituents as CERCLA hazardous substances. In addition to the federal response, over a dozen states have issued either regulations (e.g., state-specific MCLs) or guidance for PFAS in groundwater and/or soils. This session will provide background information on the issue, and include updates on the state and federal responses for PFAS, and the issues that we see in the future as PFAS is increasingly regulated.