The EPA issued a final rule on Friday that will list the two most widely used forms of PFAS chemicals under the law governing Superfund sites, spurring worries in Congress over the liability for industries that merely received products that contained them.
The agency’s final rule designates perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, under the 1980 law that set up the Superfund. Both are forms of PFAS, human-made substances known as forever chemicals because they do not easily degrade in the environment.
Businesses, airports, federal agencies, manufacturers and many others have used products with these chemicals for years. Now, they’ll have to report releases — such as spills or dumping — of one pound or more within a 24-hour period to the EPA.
