(AGENPARL) – gio 14 novembre 2024 Issued: Nov 14, 2024 (1:25pm EST)
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Biden-Harris Administration Makes Unprecedented Progress to Protect
Communities from PFAS Pollution
New report highlights key EPA accomplishments under national strategy to
confront PFAS “forever chemicals” in communities across the country
WASHINGTON – Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President
Harris, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delivered bold and
concrete actions to protect people from PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances, in their water and everyday lives while dramatically increasing
investments in research and solutions. Specific actions and progress are
detailed in EPA’s third annual progress report, highlighting
the significant achievements the agency has made under its PFAS Strategic
Roadmap and the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government strategy
to protect communities from the impacts of forever chemicals.
“Before President Biden took office, the federal government wasn’t doing
enough to address PFAS pollution across the country. The Biden-Harris
Administration has since taken unprecedented steps to develop the science,
implement strong standards, and invest billions into solutions to protect all
Americans from these forever chemicals,” said EPA Administrator Michael S.
Regan. “Our actions are making a difference in communities across America,
and especially in those that have been overburdened by pollution for far too
long.”
PFAS are an urgent threat to public health and the environment. Communities
across the nation are discovering these chemicals in their air, land, and
water. The science is clear: exposure to certain PFAS poses significant risks
to human health, including cancer, even at very low levels. In 2021, EPA
Administrator Michael S. Regan established the EPA Council on PFAS and
charged the group to develop the agency’s strategic roadmap. The roadmap is
EPA’s commitment to confront PFAS contamination head on – by following the
science, leveraging all available tools and authorities, holding polluters
accountable, and investing historic levels of resources to protect
communities. 
Progress on PFAS During the Biden-Harris Administration
Protecting drinking water: In 2024, EPA announced the first-ever, nationwide,
legally enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS. The final rule will
reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands
of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses.  Since early
2021, EPA has also been undertaking the largest nationwide effort to
understand the frequency that PFAS is found in drinking water, and at what
levels. Under this program, EPA is collecting, and making publicly available,
data on 29 different PFAS in drinking water at approximately 10,000 water
systems nationwide.
Investing in projects to address PFAS contamination in water: Through
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is investing $10
billion for removal of PFAS and other emerging contaminants from water. Most
of this funding is helping communities to install new infrastructure and
treatment technologies to address PFAS in drinking water. EPA also announced
its Fiscal Year 2024 funding allocations (pdf) for EPA’s Tribal
infrastructure financing programs for PFAS and other emerging contaminants,
including more than $35 million for drinking water and $4.5 million for clean
water.
Cleaning up PFAS contamination on lands: EPA is making sure that polluters
pay for the cleanup of PFAS contamination. In 2024, EPA finalized a critical
rule designating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA), also known as Superfund, to compel those most responsible for PFAS
contamination to pay for cleanup, rather than taxpayers.  
Advancing chemical safety: EPA has taken action to harness the authorities of
the Toxic Substances Control Act and other laws to protect people from PFAS
and account for risks to vulnerable subpopulations. For example, EPA finalized
a rule to prevent inactive PFAS from reentering commerce. This stops
companies from starting or resuming the manufacture or processing of 329 PFAS
that have not been made or used for many years without a complete EPA review
and risk determination. For PFAS that were previously reviewed, EPA has issued
rules to ensure any protective restrictions are more broadly applicable to all
manufacturers and processors of those chemicals.
Safeguarding our waterways: EPA put critical building blocks in place for
understanding and addressing PFAS in our nation’s waters. EPA finalized the
development of two critical methods for measuring PFAS in air, water, soil,
and other environmental media. The agency finalized water quality criteria for
PFOA and PFOS as well as benchmarks for other PFAS to protect aquatic life.
EPA also released a recommended list of PFAS to monitor for state and Tribal
fish and shellfish advisory programs.
Pursuing enforcement and compliance: EPA established a clear PFAS Enforcement
Discretion and Settlement Policy Under CERCLA to reinforce the agency’s
focus on significant contributors to the PFAS contamination challenge – and
not on entities like farms or water utilities. EPA also instituted a new
National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Addressing Exposure to
PFAS, to focus its resources and attention on enforcement actions that
protect public health.
Advancing our understanding of PFAS: EPA catalyzed numerous research and
regulatory programs to collect and generate data on PFAS that will improve
scientific understanding of this large and diverse class of chemicals. EPA
also developed, implemented, and refined the agency’s National PFAS Testing
Strategy, which is building information on categories of PFAS to inform future
decisions. These efforts complement an ongoing and rigorous research agenda. 
Reducing PFAS in products and purchasing: EPA has taken significant action to
reduce PFAS uses in commerce through efforts to remove PFAS as a class of
chemicals rather than only a few chemicals at a time. Additionally, EPA has
ensured that PFAS are not intentionally added to Safer Choice-certified
products and has removed PFAS from the list of inert ingredients approved for
use in nonfood pesticide products. The agency also joined the General Services
Administration (GSA) in taking action to cut PFAS from U.S. government
custodial contracts.
The progress the Biden-Harris Administration has made to protect communities
from PFAS pollution is unprecedented. EPA will continue to move with urgency
to develop the science and research related to PFAS, partner with states,
Tribes, and local leaders to implement funding and solutions, and set and
update strong standards to ensure all Americans are safe from potential
contamination.
Read the PFAS Strategic Roadmap – EPA’s Commitments to Action 2021-2024.
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