Pruitt Details Agenda To Address PFAS But Some Steps Will Take Years

摘要

Under pressure from lawmakers, communities and states, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt May 22 announced a multimedia effort to address contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the ubiquitous class of chemicals that are contaminating dozens of sites and water supplies across the country, though some planned actions are likely to take years to complete. Addressing EPA's "National Leadership Summit" on PFAS May 22, Pruitt said the agency will "take the next step" to evaluate the need for a drinking water standard for pcrfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) - the two most common perfluorinated chemicals - a step that the Defense Department (DOD) and many states are seeking to provide a consistent national standard. His announcement reiterated a commitment that senior officials have previously made but one they have said is likely to take years to complete. Nevertheless, Pruitt said the formal determination of the need for a maximum contaminant level (MCL) is something the agency would "begin in earnest." Pruitt said the agency is taking steps to establish liability under the Superfund law for those two chemicals, while also currently developing a groundwater cleanup recommendation for sites contaminated with the two substances.