The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed setting national drinking water standards for two of the most common and studied types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals under the Safe Drinking Water Act and is seeking comment on potential monitoring requirements and regulatory approaches for the chemicals.
The Feb. 20 proposal calls for establishing maximum contaminant levels for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). EPA also proposed regulating imported products that contain certain long-chain PFAS chemicals that are used as surface coatings. Under the proposal, EPA would place restrictions on imported goods that contain these chemicals. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the proposal would “close a loophole that currently allows new uses of products that include certain PFAS chemicals…that have been phased out of the United States to be imported into our country.”