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Environmental Protection Agency
Updated October 3, 2024
EPA is committed to providing meaningful, understandable, and actionable information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – known as PFAS – to the American public. The information provided here is intended to explain some of the important background information needed to understand the details of specific actions EPA takes to address PFAS, and other emerging events related to PFAS.
As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s commitment to safeguard the environment from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the agency uses its Clean Water Act authorities to develop recommended water quality criteria and informational benchmarks to help states and authorized Tribes protect aquatic ecosystems from several PFAS.
Environmental Protection Agency
October 1, 2024
Environmental Protection Agency
May 22, 2024
On April 10, 2024, EPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS. To inform the final rule, EPA evaluated over 120,000 comments submitted by the public on the rule proposal, as well as considered input received during multiple consultations and stakeholder engagement activities held both prior to and following the proposed rule. EPA expects that over many years the final rule will prevent PFAS exposure in drinking water for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses.
Continue reading “Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation”EPA
Last updated on May 7, 2024
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, EPA has restored scientific integrity and accelerated the pace of research and actions needed to tackle the PFAS crisis and protect American communities.
Continues…
April 10, 2024
Link to EPA regulation page:
https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
EPA
April 10, 2024
As part of the Administration’s commitment to combating PFAS pollution, EPA announces $1B investment through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to address PFAS in drinking water
WASHINGTON – Today, April 10, the Biden-Harris Administration issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals.’
Continue reading “Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes First-Ever National Drinking Water Standard to Protect 100M People from PFAS Pollution”U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Document No. 815R24009
April, 2024
Occurrence and Contaminant Background Support Document for the Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA 815-R-24-013
April, 2024
On March 3, 2021 (86 FR 12272; USEPA, 2021a), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its decision to regulate perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Continue reading “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)”U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA-815-R-24-010
April, 2024
Section 1412(a)(3) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finalize a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) simultaneously with the publication of a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR). The MCLG is set, as defined in Section 1412(b)(4)(A), at “the level at which no known or anticipated adverse effects on the health of persons occur and which allows an adequate margin of safety.” Consistent with SDWA 1412(b)(3)(C)(i)(V), in developing the MCLG, the EPA considers “the effects of the contaminant on the general population and on groups within the general population such as infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly, individuals with a history of serious illness, or other subpopulations that are identified as likely to be at greater risk of adverse health effects due to exposure to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.” Other factors considered in determining MCLGs for drinking water contaminants include health effects data, toxicity values, cancer classifications, and potential sources of exposure other than drinking water. MCLGs are not regulatory levels and are not enforceable.
Continue reading “Maximum Contaminant Level Goals for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) in Drinking Water”U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Document No. 815R24008
April, 2024
The methods used to conduct the systematic review for PFOA are consistent with the methods described in the draft and final EPA ORD Staff Handbook for Developing IRIS Assessments (U.S. EPA, 2022b, 2020a) (hereafter referred to as the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Handbook) and a companion publication (Thayer et al., 2022).
Continue reading “Human Health Toxicity Assessment for Perfluorooctanic Acid (PFOA) and Related Salts”EPA
April 1989
The 1986 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) established a new Wellhead Protection (WHP) Program to protect ground waters that supply wells and wellfields that contribute drinking water to public water supply systems. Under SDWA Section 1428 each State must develop a WHP Program that consists of several elements.
At a minimum, each State’s WHP Program
must: